On a night when Colorado skated two forwards short of the full complement in a 4-1 loss to Vancouver at the Pepsi Center because Wojtek Wolski was ill and couldn’t suit up, and then Ian Laperriere drew a game misconduct in the second period, the Avalanche probably could have used Ryan Stoa.
Figuratively speaking.
Instead, the Avs just brought the University of Minnesota star junior forward to Denver, put him through a physical, announced his signing to a two-year entry-level contract and indicated he wouldn’t play for Colorado this season.
Colorado has seven games remaining, and the loss to the Canucks was the Avs’ fourth consecutive in regulation and sixth overall, left them in possession of 29th place in the NHL’s overall standings and dropped them to within six points of the No. 30 New York Islanders in the race for the best odds of landing the top overall choice and major-junior superstar John Tavares in the upcoming draft.
Stoa, 21, was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s leading scorer in 2008-09, with 36 points, including 19 goals, in 27 league games.
It’s not unusual for prospects to sign after the college season ends, join the NHL roster and play down the stretch. Yet Stoa, who went to Colorado 34th overall in the 2005 draft, or six choices ahead of the University of Denver’s Paul Stastny, said that he and the Avs didn’t discuss him joining Colorado this season. “It never came up,” he said at the Pepsi Center on Friday night. He added that he and the Avs did briefly talk about the possibility of him playing for the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters in the final weeks. That was ruled out, too.
“The biggest thing was to come in and see the doctors and have the physical,” said Stoa, a prototype power forward who has played center and left wing. “It’s important for me to go back and finish the classes I’m taking right now.”
The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Stoa was listed as a junior this season after receiving a medical redshirt year because he suffered a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament in the Gophers’ second game in 2007-08.
“It was a tough decision for me to leave,” he said.
Stoa attended Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minn., in the Twin Cities area, before playing two seasons in the National Team Development Program, and then joining the Gophers. He finished with 47 goals and 50 assists at Minnesota.
“I think I can bring some different elements to the table, and use my size to my advantage,” Stoa said.
But that won’t happen until at least next season.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
Avs Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Daniel Sedin.
Wait … or is it Henrik? Identical twins each had a goal and an assist.
2. Mats Sundin.
Veteran Swede had a pair of assists.
3. Mattias Ohlund.
Defenseman was on for three Vancouver goals.
What you might have missed
The Avs signed free agent Cedric McNicoll, who had 38 goals and 104 points for Shawinigian this season.
Up next
At Anaheim, Sunday, 6 p.m.
Terry Frei, The Denver Post
