Examining the Defence for next season

[Ararana]

An article published yesterday about the outlook of our defence:

2020-21 Avalanche Blue Line: Are Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins on It?

https://thehockeywriters.com/2020-21-avalanche-blue-line-are-bowen-byram-and-conor-timmins-on-it/

*brain melts*

 

[Richard88]

Interesting read.

The proposed defence in the article would be good.

Graves - Makar
Girard - Johnson
Cole - Timmins

My issue with sending Byram to junior again is it might stall his development.

Maybe Timmins is more NHL ready, I don’t know. But at least if Timmins goes to the AHL he can continue his development.

As for having both of them on the blue line, they are right in saying it’s unlikely. Though I don’t know if the Avs would be too worried about having so much youth on defence. Girard and Makar are not your average young defenceman.

Yeah there was a couple of things that I disagreed with. For one Byram should stay in the NHL next year. Another year in the WHL does nothing for him. That being the case, even if Timmins is NHL ready that probably means that he'll be in the AHL, at least for a bit to start the season. Perhaps give Byram the first 9 games, and if he falters then send him down and call Timmins up. Or even if Byram does well you simply call Timmins up at the first opportunity when there's an injury and then let him stay up and bump Cole down to 7th Dman.

The point he raised about letting Byram's contract slide was interesting. As it stands if he doesn't play in the 2020 playoffs and plays 10 games in 2020-21 his contract would be up in 2023 at the same time as Mackinnon. Maybe it does make sense to slide it another year. Or on the flipside maybe the prudent thing to do is to try to expedite that contract so that he doesn't break out like Rantanen did before getting locked in long-term. Keeping Timmins in the AHL for a chunk of next season might also keep his first RFA contract down in 2021. I'm sure Sakic will have a good plan for how to manage those situations.

I also disagreed with what @Ararana pointed out below. Josh Anderson is nowhere near the NHL, not sure why he's even listed as being "in the pipeline". That just exposes a lack of awareness of Colorado's depth options. It should really be Helleson or Zhuravlyov mentioned there, or maybe even MacDonald (though he's not exactly what you'd call a prospect anymore).

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*brain melts*

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Came across this the other day. Blast from the past. Seven more years of Sam Girard.

 

[PAZ]

Is it weird that I feel totally comfortable with a Makar-Graves top pairing next year?

Graves definitely frustrated me at times this season (shooting the puck an excessive amount), but overall I enjoyed his game. It’s nice to have some size on defence with all the skill guys we have on the roster and in the system.

How do you feel about Graves getting increased minutes next season? It seems pretty likely since Makar will be playing more. I could see him getting around 21-22 minutes a night.

I don't see Graves getting that much of an increase in ice-time, maybe from 19 to 20 minutes a game. If Byram stays up Graves will gets more ice-time to start to shelter Byram, but as the season progressives Byram will get more ice time. Not to mention Bednar is going to shuffle his defensive pairings to suit his needs, Girard will be playing 21-23 minutes a night the next season.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I don't see Graves getting that much of an increase in ice-time, maybe from 19 to 20 minutes a game. If Byram stays up Graves will gets more ice-time to start to shelter Byram, but as the season progressives Byram will get more ice time. Not to mention Bednar is going to shuffle his defensive pairings to suit his needs, Girard will be playing 21-23 minutes a night the next season.

Whoever plays with Makar is going to see their ice-time go up next year. Most likely that’ll be Graves.

I agree on Girard. His ice-time will go up as well. It will be important for Bednar to rotate partners with Girard next season so EJ doesn’t get overworked.

 

[PAZ]

Whoever plays with Makar is going to see their ice-time go up next year. Most likely that’ll be Graves.

I agree on Girard. His ice-time will go up as well. It will be important for Bednar to rotate partners with Girard next season so EJ doesn’t get overworked.

Graves might be Makar's primary partner when the game is status quo, but if Bednar needs more offense and Timmins/Byram can add that secondary puck moving ability on another pairing, we'll be seeing a lot more of Girard + Makar.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Graves might be Makar's primary partner when the game is status quo, but if Bednar needs more offense and Timmins/Byram can add that secondary puck moving ability on another pairing, we'll be seeing a lot more of Girard + Makar.

The problem with playing Makar and Girard together is it really destroys our other pairings.

Maybe one of Byram, or Timmins bursts onto the scene next year to make it possible to play Makar/Girard together, but I’m not sure that’ll happen.

 

[Metallo]

Not thrilled about our defense...

We only have stay-at-home Dmen now...

 

[Balthazar]

If Graves could pitch in offensively a little less and use his big frame to hit a little more it would be such a big upgrade.

He's mobile, he's big, he has a good shot and has chemistry with one of the best offensive defenseman in the game. He can be everything that Makar isn't and cement himself in such an important role if he plays his cards correctly.

He could become a more modern version of Marc Methot that was playing with Karlsson in Ottawa.