UPDATE: Avalanche just announced that
Mikko Rantanen won't play, lower body injury.
It's taken all but the final week of the season, but
Duncan Siemens will be in the lineup Tuesday when the Avalanche play Chicago at the Pepsi Center.
The former first-round pick (No. 11 in the 2011 NHL draft) and forward
Rocco Grimaldi were recalled from San Antonio on Monday. Grimaldi will also play against the Blackhawks, who have clinched first in the Western Conference.
Here are the
GAME NOTES.
It sure seems like the Avalanche have given up on Siemens, 23, a 6-feet-3, 210-pound defenseman who was drafted nine spots after
Gabriel Landeskog. This is his fourth full season as a pro and he'll play in just his second NHL game; he played against Chicago on April 11, 2015.
"As far as when the call happened, that's out of my control," said Siemens, who in 69 games with the Rampage had two goals, six assists, 88 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating. "I was just trying to play well down there and continue to improve on my game. I'm happy for the opportunity now. I have to take advantage of it, play my game, keep it simple and go from there."
Siemens will be paired with
Cody Goloubef, who has been a healthy scratch for 10 consecutive games. Good luck, Duncan.
"I think I've been playing fairly well and staying healthy has been huge for my success this year," Siemens said. "I've been able to play every game, which hasn't happened in years past. I've been able to get some consistency back in my game."
Siemens will be a restricted free agent July 1, and it doesn't seem likely the Avalanche will tender a qualifying offer to retain his rights. If they don't, he'll be unrestricted.
"They're giving me an opportunity to show myself and I'm just going to take it a day at a time, play my game and see where I'm at," he said. "If I go out there and do my job, I think that I can be a contributing factor to helping the team win.
"As for the auditioning stuff, you just have to put that in the back of your mind. I'm in a little bit of a unique situation, but at this time of year everybody is fighting for a job, everyone's being watched by everybody in the league, so every night's an audition."
Grimaldi, 24, is in the same situation contract-wise. Acquired from Florida last June for
Reto Berra, the 5-6, 180-pound Grimaldi was the Rampage's leading scorer with 29 goals and 51 points in 68 games.
He'll play right wing on a line with
Gabriel Landeskog and
Tyson Jost.
*****
Avalanche players aren't happy about the NHL's decision not to participate in the Olympics next year in South Korea.
"I think it's too bad, to be honest with you," said Landeskog, who won a silver medal for Sweden in the 2014 Games. "Growing up, watching Sweden in the (2006) Olympics and the men's hockey, our whole high school stood still. Everybody got a break off of school, because they showed it in the cafeteria and everybody was there. The whole school, teachers and everything.
"Olympics, that's what a lot of kids dream about. That's a great honor for your country and to be a part of that and also to win an Olympic medal, that doesn't happen that often where you get that chance. It's too bad and disappointing.
"You're playing for your country, nobody is making any money. You're playing for pride and playing for your jersey and your country. The owners say they don’t want players getting hurt and whatnot, and I can understand that. From a players' perspective, you go play for your country and that's it. The pride and wanting to win a gold medal for your country."
Erik Johnson, who won a silver medal on the U.S. Olympic team in 2010:
"I'm not really completely sure what we can do right now. I don't know if there's an appeals process or whatever. They consider the matter closed. I think you'll see a lot of players, especially teams' top players, want to go. I would be shocked if it's the end of it.
"I would definitely want to go if you had the opportunity to go. The most important thing is your NHL team. They're the ones that pay your salary and give you an opportunity to play in the NHL. As a player, I'd want to go."
Nathan MacKinnon:
"I think it sucks. It's obviously the owners' decision. It's too bad. It's a time for us to showcase our best players in the world and grow the game in places where hockey isn't very big, such as Korea. The last Olympics, hockey is huge over there. This is an opportunity for us to grow it with Beijing coming up in 2022 as well. Korea and China are places we haven't tapped yet. I think it's important. Hopefully something gets resolved; maybe it will change."
Matt Duchene, who won Olympic gold with Canada in 2014:
"It's disappointing. I think as a group, players wanted to go and do that. Hopefully it's not set in stone. There's a lot of time left. Hopefully something can be reached. I don’t know if this is a posturing move or what. It's great to have NHL players over there playing for their countries. It's disappointing to see the decision. Hopefully it can be salvaged.
"It was probably the biggest honor of my life, to be picked for that team. That was the moment that I will always cherish, making the team. It's disappointing that it looks like we're not going.
"It would be a big marketing opportunity growing the NHL over there, and having some games (in China) next year is going to be good. The Olympics would take it to the next level. Hopefully it can be salvaged and an agreement found before February."
Here's the projected Avalanche lineup for Tuesday:
FORWARDS
Sven Andrighetto -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Matt Duchene
Gabriel Landeskog -- Tyson Jost -- Rocco Grimaldi
Matt Nieto -- J.T. Compher -- Rene Bourque
Mikhail Grigorenko -- Carl Soderberg -- Joe Colborne
DEFENSE
Mark Barberio -- Erik Johnson
Francois Beauchemin -- Tyson Barrie
Cody Goloubef -- Duncan Siemens
GOALIES
Calvin Pickard
Jeremy Smith
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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