All the Avalanche needs new defenseman Erik Johnson to do is erase widespread panic from the blue line, save coach Joe Sacco’s job and restore the mojo of an NHL franchise in the throes of an identity crisis.
OK, so Johnson tips the scales at a brawny 232 pounds, stands taller than a blue spruce on skates and has hands large enough to make Paul Bunyan’s ax look about the size of a salad fork.
But fixing the Avs might be too big a task to ask of the 22-year- old Johnson, who arrived in Colorado via trade from St. Louis as a former No. 1 draft pick who has never lived up to the hype.
What can Johnson bring to the Avalanche?
“Swagger,” Johnson said Friday.
Amen, brother.
The Avs don’t know who they are, which philosophical direction the team is headed or what unsettling trade might go down in any given 24-hour period.
Already reeling from a horrendous losing streak, Colorado players were crosschecked and decked by two trades that recently sent goalie Craig Anderson, forward Chris Stewart and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk packing. In the process, Avs management made a mockery of its pledge to build a championship contender on the foundation of patience.
“With a young team, this is their first experience at the trade deadline, where guys are coming or going,” Avalanche veteran Milan Hejduk said. “Every hockey player knows that trades happen, but when all of a sudden your buddy or a teammate is gone for the first time, you say: ‘Oh, boy. This is real.’ “
The No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft was Sidney Crosby. The No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft was Patrick Kane. In 2006, the honor — and burden — went to Johnson. He has suffered by the inevitable comparisons.
“It’s the nature of the beast,” Johnson said. “It’s about learning to bounce back when things aren’t going so well.”
St. Louis gave up on Johnson only 200 games into his NHL career. He yearns to make the Blues pay for their impatience.
“Nobody puts more pressure on me than myself. Especially, being a defenseman, sometimes things get overblown as far as things you can do on the ice,” Johnson said. “But I’m a good skater; I’m a good shooter; I can make a good pass.
“And I can contribute a lot to this Avalanche team. It’s about balancing those expectations and those pressures.”
It seems harsh to call a player as young as Johnson a reclamation project. But Colorado knows the risks in obtaining him. “He needs to get some confidence back in his game,” Sacco said.
We’ve been assured Sacco will be back as coach next season. That’s fair. Crippling injuries to Colorado’s roster can’t be pinned on the coach.
But the reprieve doesn’t mean Sacco should feel secure in his job. In fact, if 60 games into next season, the Avs again rank dead last in NHL scoring defense, you can color Sacco gone.
Can Johnson put the aggression back in the Avalanche?
“I think he can make a significant difference, not just on the ice, but in the locker room,” Sacco said. “Having a defenseman that size and with skill to go along with that size, once he gets comfortable with his teammates, his new environment, his new surroundings and how we play here, I think he’s going to be a dominant force.”
At 11 points behind eighth place in the Western Conference, Colorado won’t find a way to make the playoffs. If the Avs can find an identity during what remains of this season, it would be considered a major victory.
With Johnson and center Matt Duchene tapped as leaders, the Avalanche’s return to relevancy in the Denver sports debate is now dependent on two hockey players born after Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.
Get any younger, and maybe the Avs should start taking the ice accompanied by Justin Bieber singing “Baby.”
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
