Avalanche Veteran Could Lose Ice Time to Colorado's Young Forwards
The Colorado Avalanche have been quiet, but they have made significant moves that could change the layout on the ice. When the Avalanche signed Vinnie Hinostroza, they didn’t do it to add a big offensive weapon. The organization saw experience, versatility and depth.
For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, Hinostroza checked all the boxes in what they were looking for. Great move for the team. For Hinostroza, though, there could be a cost to being on a team with this kind of talent.
Colorado suddenly has a group of young forwards who are ready, willing and able. They are going to be fighting for playing time. If the youth movement performs as expected and hoped, Hinostroza could be the veteran who finds himself with less ice time.
Competition Coming for Avalanche
When the season starts, all the NHL teams will be gunning to knock off the Avalanche, but Colorado’s competition will start long before the players take the ice against other teams.
The bottom half of their forward group will be competing for time when camp starts.
Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux both arrived in a trade that set Jack Drury and Chase Bradley to Nashville. On top of that Colorado moved to acquire former first-round pick Fabian Lysell from Boston.
Of course, none of them were guaranteed a significant role and that’s exactly what makes this interesting.
Svechkov has already logged 122 games in the NHL and had his career-high appearances last year of 70 games. L’Heureux also has NHL experience. He’s been on the ice 87 times. Last season in the AHL, he played in 30 games and amassed 28 points.
Lysell’s experience doesn’t quite match, but there’s a reason the Avalanche made the move for him. He spent last season in the AHL where he put up 17 goals and 42 points in a total of 57 games. The offensive ability is there, the question is whether it can translate to the NHL ice.
If one or more of these talents break through, Jared Bednar is going to have some tough decisions to make.
Hinostroza Could Be Squeezed
Stating the obvious, Hinostroza brings a lot of value to the table given his experience level. But that doesn’t mean he automatically gets the ice time.
After a decade in the NHL, the 32-year-old is able to move around the lineup. During the expanded 82-game season, versatility could become a key factor in keeping teams alive and winning.
Colorado also has to determine the value it has in the younger forwards. If the organization sees the talent and wants them to develop into meaningful pieces, then at some point they are going to have to play.
That’s where Hinostroza could be left battling for minutes or settling into a role as an extra forward.
Why This Isn’t Bad News
Even if Hinostroza loses some ice time, it doesn’t mean that the Avalanche made a mistake. Actually, it could mean that what they are doing is exactly right.
Colorado needs inexpensive young players emerging and developing around the veteran core. If they found some legitimate NHL contributors, Joe Sakic would have a lot of flexibility while he could also extend the championship window.
Should Svechkov establish himself, or Lysell’s offensive game finally translates to the NHL, or even L’Heureux wins the battle in camp and Bednar is forced to keep him in the lineup, the Avs immediately become deeper. All of it could happen without having to make another major acquisition.
Hinostroza will still have a vital role to play even if all of these things happen. An experienced forward that can step into the lineup when injuries inevitably occur has extreme value. Veteran depth matters.
Consistent playing time, though, may be hard to come by.
Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NHL, NCAA and WNBA. Laura covers the Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Avalanche and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com