DENVER, Co – Having addressed the offensive issue with the number four pick in Trevor Zegras, Colorado can focus on adding to their defensive squad. To understand why defense is important to the Avalanche, other than being how one wins championships (or so I’ve been told), you would have to look back a couple of seasons to the moves the club has made.
The 2016-17 season was an unlikely year for the Avalanche. They said goodbye to star player Matt Duchene and picked up defenseman Samuel Girard from Nashville. This was part of a three-team trade that sent Duchene to the Ottawa Senators. Girard has been the turning point for the Avalanche defense since his arrival late in the 2016-2017 season and helped the squad make the post season for the first time in four years. While it was not Girard alone who pushed Colorado into the playoffs, his presence on the team has been a boost for the defense.
The Avalanche saw another up and coming defenseman added to their roster in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, Cale Makar. The University of Massachusetts defenseman was drafted fourth overall by Colorado in the 2017 entry draft and was brought in when Girard was injured in game two against the Calgary Flames.
Makar made an impression immediately with the club, scoring a goal against the Flames in game three. The rookie defenseman made a name for himself during the playoffs and his ability to deliver under the pressure of the playoffs.
Rounding out the top three defenseman for Colorado is Tyson Barrie who just finished his eighth season with the club and finished last season as the fourth leading point scorer on the roster behind Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen. While Barrie has been on the roster for a while, the defensive unit for Colorado has not been one of their strong points until the last two years. With the addition of Makar and Girard, the Avalanche have shown they are taking measures to build a respected defensive unit.
While size is always an issue when thinking of player prospects, Colorado’s defensive unit does not lack the big guys. Only three of their current nine defensive players measure below 6-feet tall. Those players would be, you guessed it, Barrie, Girard, and Makar.
So who might be the best fit for the Colorado Avalanche as they try to keep their defensive depth stocked? How about Cam York from the University of Michigan? York had a great World Junior Championship with Team USA registering four goals and seven assists in seven games this year. York has also won silver with Team USA during the 2017-2018 season in the WJC.
Measuring in at 5’ 11” 172 pounds, York is not the biggest defenseman on the market, but his size and shooting skill make him a great fit for the Avalanche. That is why the Colorado Avalanche will make the following announcement on draft day.
“With the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche select, from the University of Michigan, Cam York.”
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