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Defense needed: Apply Colorado Avalanche |
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If there's one thing the Avalanche learned from their 3-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks its that they need to upgrade their defense.
Currently the Avs have one top four defenseman. His name is Erik Johnson. Behind him is a motley crew of bottom pairing defensemen playing top pairing minutes and the player who does changes nightly.
Two years ago the Avs acquired Erik Johnson because they were tired of being pushed around by a smaller, more mobile defense. In response, Greg Sherman and the Avalanche have collected a set of bigger, slower defenseman. Great for clearing out the front of the net, bad at A) providing some offense and B) bad at keeping up with faster forwards in the zone.
Matt Hunwick is one of the faster defensemen but he gets pushed around too easily, turns the puck over far too often. It costs the Avs puck possession, flow and, the past two games, goals.
Ryan Wilson can fill a top four defenseman role but he is injured and usually when he comes back from an injury, he is hesitate and passive.
The Avs have one line that is a potent scoring threat night-in and night-out, a sluggish defense that is a turn over machine. That equation that has one inevitable conclusion: overhaul. When the Avs sent away Kevin Shattenkirk, John-Michael Liles and Kyle Cumiskey it was with the promise to built a bigger, better defense.
Well they got a bigger one, not sure if it is better. They have gone too far to the other end, losing all their scoring and still giving up the same goals. Instead of the defense being out muscled, they are beaten to every loose puck and too slow to get out Semyon Varlamov's way.
Tyson Barrie and Stefan Elliott were supposed to replace Liles and Shattenkirk but their development has stunted. Barrie has that deer in the headlights look whenever he has the puck in his own zone and Elliott is trying to regain his confidence which allowed him to burst onto the scene last year.
Even if Duncan Siemens pans out, he is still some years away from making the NHL as a regular. Siemens, Elliott, Barrie- these players are "maybes." Maybe they'll pan out, maybe they will not but the Avs desperately need something definite
Johnson is a real player. Not as dominant as Shea Weber, not an offensive dynamo like Erik Karlsson but he can do everything that the Avs need him to- just cannot do it alone.
Whatever comes at the draft, the Avs need at least one more established top four defenseman so that Johnson is breaking his back carrying around dead weight. Maybe Seth Jones is the answer, maybe he is not. Avs cannot rely on maybes to win them games. At some point, they need a player who can step up and lead by example, mentor the young guys to help them mature.
Sherman must step up to the plate and deliver. Deliver like he did getting Jamie McGinn and Steve Downie. Get a top four, two way defenseman who is solid in his own end and can score in the other. It would not solve all their problems but it would be a step in the right direction.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
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