2016 Top 25 Avalanche under 25: #12 Duncan Siemens

[Elite_video_player id=”8″]

Today BSN’s 2016 top 25 Colorado Avalanche under 25 series continues with number 12 on our list, defenseman Duncan Siemens. A long-standing question in the Avalanche prospect pool, Siemens slipped from the 11th spot on last year’s list to the 12th spot this year.

Of the seven ballots submitted, Siemens averaged a ranking of 12.1 (tied with #11 Nicolas Meloche), with a high rank of 10th and low of 17th. Drafted 11th overall in 2011, Duncan Siemens’ path to the NHL has been slow and filled with personal setbacks and injuries. Now, at 23, he enters the season at a major crossroads hoping to finally break through the AHL ceiling and establish himself on the Avs’ crowded NHL blueline.

Who is Duncan Siemens?

Duncan Siemens is a big, 6’3″ bruising defenseman with an extremely smooth skating stride. Even in the WHL Siemens has never been much of an offensive player, and he’s accumulated just 2 goals and 17 points from the blueline in his first three AHL seasons. While the defenseman’s skating and defensive play have often been strong in training camps, he’s never demonstrated the puck skills to stick with the team through the preseason. Siemens plays a simple safe game, however, that doesn’t always show well in training camps where raw skills are on display more prominently than game sense.

Siemens does have a good first pass out of his own zone, something that has improved substantially over his pro career thus far, and something he’ll need to continue improving if he hopes to move up the depth chart. Siemens does have 1 game of NHL experience under his belt. After a slew of injuries at the end of the season, Siemens was called up to play in the 2014-2015 season finale for the Avs. Siemens played 14:00 in the 3-2 victory and registered 2 hits.

What is the future for Duncan Siemens?

At 23 things aren’t quite over yet for Duncan Siemens, but with Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson signed long-term and a deep pool of young defensive prospects including Nikita Zadorov, Chris Bigras, and Nicolas Meloche, Siemens is running out of time to make his way up the Avalanche depth chart. After signing a 1-year contract this summer, there’s no question that this is a make or break year for Siemens within the Avalanche organization.

That may sound like a grim outlook for the former 11th overall pick, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Siemens this season. First, Duncan Siemens is coming off the best season of his professional career. The steadfast defensive blueliner with a temper has been a slow developer throughout his entire career, and while it’s taken time for him to meet the speed of the AHL, he was a critical fixture on the Rampage blueline last year and the team folded defensively when they lost him to injury late in the season.

Second, where Siemens has previously been buried in the AHL without a clear path out, this season the door is open for him to make the NHL roster. Under Patrick Roy, Duncan Siemens was given few opportunities to make the NHL roster and was routinely cut from the roster before playing so much as a preseason game. With a new coach in place and Erik Johnson away at the World Cup, Duncan Siemens will have the best opportunity of his career to move his way up the depth chart.

Additionally, because of his age and professional experience, Duncan Siemens is no longer exempt from NHL waivers. Should the Avalanche demote Siemens they will risk losing him on waivers to another NHL team that believes in his NHL potential. While it’s no guarantee his new waivers status saves him from demotion, the risk of losing Siemens on waivers does tip the scales in favor of giving him a role on the NHL roster if possible.