NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Center Carl Soderberg is the Avalanche’s Professional Hockey Writers’ Association Colorado chapter winner and national nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Award, presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.
Soderberg, 30, entered Monday tied as Colorado’s fourth-leading scorer with 47 points, one behind his career high. He has been the team’s most consistent center and plays in every situation.
He is also legally blind in one eye, from taking a stick to the eye during a game in Sweden at age 22. Soderberg was forced to re-learn how to play hockey with one eye and didn’t make his NHL debut until age 27 with Boston. He was acquired from the Bruins in a trade last summer, essentially replacing Ryan O’Reilly, who was traded to Buffalo a day after Soderberg became an Av.
“Very deserving,” Avs captain and fellow Swede Gabe Landeskog said of Soderberg’s Masterton Trophy honor. “We talked about it the other day — it came up somehow that he is blind in his left eye — and you start thinking about that. It’s hard enough to play the game with two eyes.”
More minutes. Young Avalanche defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras were pegged to receive more playing time, beginning with Monday’s game at Nashville. Coach Patrick Roy split up his top pairing of Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin to put a youngster with each of them.
Bigras celebrated his 21st birthday last month and Zadorov will turn 21 next month.
“We think it’s time for us to give more responsibility to Bigras, because he’s been playing very well for us and we’re very happy with his game,” Roy said after Monday’s morning skate at Bridgestone Arena. “It also gives good responsibility for ‘Beauch’ and EJ. I told them that in ’86 when I started my first year (in Montreal) we had like seven rookies and we had the big brothers help us, which they did a lot. I told them they can play the same role.”
Bigras was previously on the third pairing and Zadorov was in the minors. Zadorov was recalled Sunday, along with forward Andrew Agozzino, and met the Avs here in Nashville.
Zadorov — believed to be a franchise defenseman in the making — began the season in the NHL and seems destined to finish it here. He has now played 17 games with Colorado and 52 with San Antonio of the American Hockey League.
“It’s been ups and downs but good learning. I think I’ve learned a lot from it,” Zadorov said of his season.
Footnotes. Nick Holden and Tyson Barrie remain as Colorado’s other defensive pairing, but they likely won’t play as much as they’re accustomed. Defensemen Zach Redmond and Andrew Bodnarchuk were healthy scratches Monday. … Forward Andrew Agozzino, who was recalled from the minors Sunday, replaced Mikko Rantanen on the fourth line; Rantanen was sent to San Antonio after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Minnesota. … The Avs continue to play without centers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. Both are out with knee injuries. Roy said Duchene, who now has missed five games, skated on his own Sunday but MacKinnon has not returned to the ice. … Roy said he’s “leaning towards” giving Semyon Varlamov consecutive-night starts and oppose the Blues on Tuesday in St. Louis.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
