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Avalanche player (p)review: Matt Calvert

August 28, 2019

Last season

Matt Calvert was obtained in the 2017-2018 off season as an unrestricted free agent. He previously played with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Calvert is a 3rd-4th line player that plays with a lot of heart and soul.

Calvert saw an impact on the defensive side of the puck and often played on the Avalanche penalty kill. His injury in the playoffs against the Sharks left an obvious hole in their lineup.

Calvert is a player that is good at being a pest against the other team and really pushes their buttons. That was evident this season in Detroit when he got into a bench altercation with Tyler Bertuzzi, among others.

Calvert is one of four players on the Avalanche to play in all 82 games of the 2018-2019 season. While he isn’t the flashy player that is going to put up big numbers on this team, he will put up a few points on the season, as his 26 indicates (11G, 15A).

Calvert averaged 14:12 TOI around 19.2 shifts a game. It was a career year for Calvert in many respects as he set new personal highs in points (26), hits (115), blocked shots (51) and even shots on goal (141).

Calvert found chemistry with players like Carl Soderberg and JT Compher in different situations last season, from the PK to even strength, and that versatility made him such a valuable player for the Avalanche.

NHL Standard career statistics
					Scor	Scor	Scor			Goal	Goal	Goal	Goal	Assi	Assi	Assi	Shot	Shot	Shot	Ice	Ice
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	EV	PP	SH	GW	EV	PP	SH	S	S%	TSA	TOI	ATOI	FOW	FOL	FO%	BLK	HIT	TK	GV
2018-19	29	COL	NHL	82	11	15	26	-10	58	10	1	0	0	12	1	2	141	7.8	212	1164	14:12	40	53	43.0	51	115	43	20

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Next season

As far as next season is concerned look to see Calvert on the third or fourth line depending on what combinations Bednar wants to see in any given game. He was an important part of the PK unit last season, tallying two assists himself. Calvert is a veteran presence on this Avalanche club still and has two years remaining on his contract.

Calvert might see some of his time cut with the acquisition of Joonas Donskoi. It’s a fair assumption that Calvert will see him in Colorado’s bottom six after the team spent the summer adding forward depth. If Calvert ends up on the fourth line, it will be a significant step forward for a fourth line that was an offensive black hole for most of last year. His defensive acumen will be especially useful in games where the Avalanche is leading.