2016 Top 25 Avalanche under 25: #17 Mason Geertsen

After a hiatus due to the unexpected head coaching situation, we’re back with the 2016 version of the Top 25 Avalanche Under 25. Coming in ranked number 17 is hulking defenseman Mason Geertsen. Geertsen appeared on all seven ballots and was ranked a high of 14 with a low of 19, a pretty close consensus at this point in the list.

Who is Mason Geertsen?

The 21-year old Geertsen was a fourth-round selection, 93rd overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2013 NHL Draft. More than anything, his selection signaled the significant shift in philosophy from the previous front office regime that saw them taking mid-round chances on undersized forwards. Geertsen, the 6’4″ behemoth of a defenseman who had struggled to find footing on a loaded Edmonton Oil Kings team and was dealt to the Vancouver Giants, was the first draft pick under the Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic front office that began to emphatically prioritize size on draft day.

Geertsen’s development has been slow but very steady, as he improved significantly with each season after being drafted. Given more responsibility on the Giants blue line, Geertsen worked his way from the third pairing to the top pairing, playing in all situations and improving his offensive output every season.

While noted for being a physical player with a propensity for dropping the gloves, Geertsen has steadily honed his offensive skills and he possesses a very powerful shot from the point, something you’d expect out of a player his size. What you wouldn’t expect, though, is what a quality skater Geertsen is. For a player with his enormous build, his hips are surprisingly fluid as he transitions smoothly in his skating and rarely loses his man in the process.

Geertsen’s pro debut last season was a tumultuous one as he dealt with a loaded San Antonio Rampage blue line and was relegated to the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets for much of the year. Still, Geertsen managed to appear in 42 AHL games, registering eight assists in the process.

What’s the future for Mason Geertsen?

This question isn’t any easier to answer after his first pro season because of the time he spent in Fort Wayne. It’s a long road from the bottom of the lineup in the AHL to the NHL but given the way his pro career has thus far mirrored his junior career, you certainly can’t dismiss Geertsen out of hand.

He’s going to compete, once again, on a loaded blue line in San Antonio as the departures of several players were met with the additions of Sergei Boikov and Anton Lindholm and, potentially, Chris Bigras coming back down for some additional seasoning. Where does Geertsen fit into this puzzle?

Likely, he’s competing with Cody Corbett for one of the depth spots in San Antonio or he’ll be starting the season in the ECHL with the team’s new affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Either way, Geertsen is a player who works extremely hard and should never be counted out for continuing to improve and move up the lineup.

His immediate adjustment to pro hockey had rough patches but with a new coaching staff in place, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same incremental progressions we saw from him in juniors as he works his way against the odds and up the lineup. While his potential impact on the NHL team is likely a few years away still, Geertsen has made himself a player to watch moving forward.