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Timmins is feeling 'awesome', will play vs Vegas in preseason opener

September 17, 2019, 3:03 PM ET [0 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It’s been a long road for defenseman Conor Timmins, who will be in the lineup Tuesday when the Avalanche play Vegas at the Pepsi Center, the first of their six preseason games.

Timmins, who was the Avalanche’s second-round pick (No. 32) in the 2017 NHL draft, missed all last season while recovering from post-concussion symptoms after being injured on a hit in an Ontario Hockey League postseason game in May 2018 while playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Timmins practiced quite a bit with the Avalanche last season and spent some time on the ice with the AHL Colorado Eagles. He took part in development camp in June after being held off the ice in that camp the summer before and played in the rookie tournament in Irvine, Calif.

Now, along with 2019 first-round pick and fellow defenseman Bowen Byram, Timmins gets to play against NHL competition for the first time, though like the Avalanche, the Golden Knights aren’t dressing many regulars.

“At some points you kind of doubt whether you’ll ever get fully back, but to be at the point I’m at now is really a great feeling,” said Timmins, who turns 21 on Wednesday. “I think when I miss that much time I have a ways to go in terms of getting my timing back, so I’d like to get as many opportunities as I can, just kind of get back into things and show what I can do."

Here are the rosters for the game tonight:



“I think it’s coming," Timmins said. "I think there’s some plays where I’m just a little behind, but it’s coming quick. I don’t think I’ve lost anything, it’s only going to come back to me. As each day goes by, I feel a little more comfortable and feel a little better with the puck.”

Timmins said he doesn’t worry about getting hurt again.

“Once I get out there the only thing on my mind is hockey,” he said. “I’m at a good point right now where (the injury is) completely out of my mind and I just focus on the game.”

As for feeling normal again, he said, “It’s awesome.”

Coach Jared Bednar wants to play Timmins in quite a few preseason games, but he’ll also be watching him carefully.

“I think he’s been pretty good,” he said. “My biggest concern with him is that he (is) involved, engaged physically and mentally, that he’s thinking things through, playing the right way and that he’s not shying away from any of the physical play because of his injury. He’s been out a long time so I expect some rust. I think he’s still getting used to the pace out there, which is understandable having the time off that he’s had.

“I think he’s getting better as we move on. All indications are that he’s healthy and over the concussion, which is great. It’s just managing expectations. As a player you want to just jump back in and take over where you left off. I don’t think that’s a realistic approach to it, so we know there’s going to be some growing pains, and we’ve relayed that to him.

“We want to see him play a lot in exhibition, we want to see him play a lot to start the year so we’ll make a decision on whether that’s possible for him, to do what’s right for his career because we see him as a big part of our future.”



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