Colorado Avalanche’s Dennis Everberg, center, gets away from Calgary Flames’ Josh Jooris, left, and Max Reinhart during third period NHL pre-season hockey action in Calgary, Alberta, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)
Right now, as of early Monday morning anyway, the Avalanche is still carrying 29 players on their roster, with about four days until the puck drops for reals at the Xcel Energy Center (funded by my gargantuan AC bill for the month of August).
The Avs have to get down to 23 players by opening night. That means six more cuts, but we already know that Patrick Roy won’t cut any of his eight defensemen, because that’s the number he wants on his roster going forward. We know he’s not going to cut either of the two goalies.
That means six of the 19 forwards on the roster will have to go. Well, not technically. Of the six, one, Patrick Bordeleau, is out long term following back surgery. Another, John Mitchell, has yet to practice with contact yet in training camp and is unlikely to be ready to return by opening night. And another, Jesse Winchester, is currently out with a concussion.
That means three cuts needs to be made among Andrew Agozzino, Dennis Everberg, Borna Rendulic, Ben Street and Tomas Vincour.
Who stays and who goes? Patrick Roy and his staff will make that call, but I would have to bet that Everberg, at least, might have the best chance of those five of sticking around longer. Everberg scored a goal in the Burgundy-White game and he scored a goal in Saturday’s lone preseason win for the Avs over the Kings in Las Vegas.
He’s big (6-4) and goes to the net, and seems to have some decent wheels. So he’s my pick to stay arond. The other two? I’d say it’s a real tossup. Agozzino has done some good things, but will his size (5-10, 187) count against him? Same thing with Street (5-11,. 185). Vincour and Rendolic are bigger – both 6-2, but haven’t wowed anyone with their play so far.
We might find out later today of come cuts, but for sure they have to be done by Wednesday. It could be a very high-energy practice among these bubble guys still on the roster.
