Pre-Game Talk: 2023/24 Training Camp

[Bill Peckerskull]

Well the EA nhl game cover jinx, started early this year

Meh, not worried. He's right on the schedule Bednar talked about a couple weeks ago. Finished up his prescribed rehab last week. On the ice skating this week. Probably gets one preseason game in, and in the lineup game 1.

 

[Ararana]

When is the appropriate time to start freaking out about Makar? Asking for a friend.

June 23, 2017.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

None of this stuff would happen if he were 6’ rather 5’11.25”

 

[DanishAvsfan]

I dunno man, I must say I don’t have a lot of faith in the Avs’ medical staff or in the people they use for consultations.

 

[Foppa2118]

All this talk about Cale had me thinking the worst. Then I go back back and see the source off all that is Cale skating in a non contact jersey???

We knew he was injured last year and said he spent the whole summer rehabbing. We knew he said he wasn't 100% yet. We knew he hadn't taken part in camp. We knew Bednar said he didn't have to see him in pre-season.

Him skating in a non contact jersey should be a good sign not a bad sign. If he wasn't back skating that would have been a bad sign.

 

[ASmileyFace]

I will try to not panic until Frail Cale misses a regular season game...

 

[henchman21]

I will try to not panic until Frail Cale misses a regular season game...

So game 6?

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

Makar is missing preseason games?

On the power play… kinda surprised Lehkonen beat out Nichushkin for the top unit.

I assume Johansen is playing the bumper? That means Lehkonen is the low man? I probably would’ve went with Val there, but I do like Lehkonen’s ability to one-touch passes.

 

[sethro109]

In our neverending quest for a PP bumper, we now have RyJo there. The Nashville fans were saying he's great in front of the net. So I'm not very happy about this. Lehky and Nuke are okay as net front guy, but our best guy by far has been Landy. Since he's obviously not playing this year, I was excited to see RyJo there. But alas, that dream has been struck down. I'll never understand Bennett and/or Bednar's insistence of having a right hand shooter in the bumper.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Troy just signed a 7 year deal to stay in Anaheim.

Did we even show him a f***ing brochure of the Colorado River?!?!

 

[Muffin]

In our neverending quest for a PP bumper, we now have RyJo there. The Nashville fans were saying he's great in front of the net. So I'm not very happy about this. Lehky and Nuke are okay as net front guy, but our best guy by far has been Landy. Since he's obviously not playing this year, I was excited to see RyJo there. But alas, that dream has been struck down. I'll never understand Bennett and/or Bednar's insistence of having a right hand shooter in the bumper.

Drouin would probably be pretty good at the bumper given his hockey IQ and he's a good distributor of the puck.

 

[sethro109]

Drouin would probably be pretty good at the bumper given his hockey IQ and he's a good distributor of the puck.

I would like them to try it, but Bennett and Bednar refuse to use left handers there.

 

[henchman21]

Drouin would probably be pretty good at the bumper given his hockey IQ and he's a good distributor of the puck.

Guys in the bumper spot tend to take the most abuse on the PP... something Drouin has traditionally had issues with.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Man, I hate f*** this team

 

[Foppa2118]

In our neverending quest for a PP bumper, we now have RyJo there. The Nashville fans were saying he's great in front of the net. So I'm not very happy about this. Lehky and Nuke are okay as net front guy, but our best guy by far has been Landy. Since he's obviously not playing this year, I was excited to see RyJo there. But alas, that dream has been struck down. I'll never understand Bennett and/or Bednar's insistence of having a right hand shooter in the bumper.

It certainly has been a revolving door, but I actually like RyJo as a bumper option. I haven't seen much of him as the net front guy, but IMO Val is pretty good there so I'm ok with that setup.

We saw RyJo's quick release on his PP goal in the bumper against Vegas too. Mikko will likely be able to set him up just like Drouin did, and he can keep PK's guessing by using Cale at the point, and Nate's one timer on the other side as decoys. And vice versa.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Did we even show him a f***ing brochure of the Colorado River?!?!

He probably used to f***in toss bikes in there as a kid

 

[The Kingslayer]

I would like them to try it, but Bennett and Bednar refuse to use left handers there.

They literally put Kadri there for the few years he was here and it drove me nuts.

 

[Alienblood]

I would like them to try it, but Bennett and Bednar refuse to use left handers there.

i agree a left shot would be a better option

 

[tigervixxxen]

Feel like Clurman is either going to break camp with the team or be the first call up.

The Clurman thing is low key because he’s literally the only other right hander in camp. maybe being the magic age of 25 and Colorado kid narrative for Altitude gets him a game or two.

 

[Avs_19]

Guys in the bumper spot get hacked/slashed/cross checked non-stop, have to make quick plays, and don't touch the puck too often on this team. I think that would be a complete waste of Drouin's talent and the worst possible spot for him.

I liked where they had him last game as it gives him a lot of room to handle the puck and try to make plays. He set up Johansen for the goal and made a couple of other good reads. One of them was the pass that went right through the crease because the player in front missed the tip (forget who it was) and another was drawing the defense in and then finding a lane to send it back to an open Byram for a chance.

 

[the_fan]

Why debate who’s gonna play the bumper? It’s RyJo. He’s smart finding those openings and has a good shot, and he’s big which will make him hard to move or cover

 

[katfude]

So game 6?

I admire your optimism

 

[Freudian]

It's pure incompetence that Avs didn't get Makar these VHS tapes over the summer:

Someone should probably get fired.

 

[Foppa2118]

I think a righty is actually better in the bumper spot on this team.

Nate's mostly a pure one timer option on the left side. Other than that he's mostly passing back to Cale or occasionally passing through the box for Mikko's one timer. In theory he could also pass to a righty for a quick wrist shot.

Mikko though is the setup man on the PP half wall. And not that Nate is a bad passer, but Mikko is elite. If you want someone setting up the bumper spot for a one timer, it's better if it's lefties like Mikko or Drouin from the right half wall, where they can also use Cale's one timer from the point as a decoy.

 

[letsgoavs1921]

Fully prepared for Cale to be Landeskog part 2. Could have had a surgery in May and been ready to go. Will waste the 5 months of offseason and decide to have a procedure here soon