Yesterday, we looked at “The New Guys” and how they’ve helped change Colorado’s roster at the top. Today, we’re going to look at everyone’s favorite players, “The Glue Guys.”
No Stanley Cup has ever been won without the heart, grit, and lovable determination of the guys who go hard every shift of every game, even if they aren’t the most naturally talented players.
The trade deadline is legendary for producing minor deals for these types of players and the Avalanche were no different, once again sending a future draft pick (2021 fourth) in order to shore up that forward depth.
Of course, at the time, the Avs were dealing with their second absurd run of poor injury luck. Now that they’re healthy, the deadline acquisition of Vladislav Namestnikov has created the deepest Avs roster in many years. He’s where we start today.
Vladislav Namestnikov – 9 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 Pts
I’m only including Namestnikov’s time in Colorado here because, frankly, what he did in Ottawa is irrelevant. His role was completely different and he’s in a totally different world now as part of a Stanley Cup contender.
Namestnikov’s versatility means he’s currently one of many players being given time on the PK but also the second PP unit. He isn’t a primary scorer but has provided consistent and reliable secondary scoring his entire career.
As part of a solid third line now, Namestnikov uses his combination of speed and aggression to put pucks on net and play a sound defensive game. He’s the jack-of-all-trades on a line full of them.
Where he really excels is right in front of the net, an area teams are always looking to get more dangerous. Even the goals he scored in Colorado were mostly of the ‘dirty’ variety as he goes hard to the net at all times.
It took just about 90 seconds for Colorado’s new-look third line to combine for the first goal in yesterday’s exhibition game against Minnesota. This is precisely what they want that line to look like.
J.T. Compher – 67 GP, 11 G, 20 A, 31 Pts
It felt like a bit of a disappointing year for Compher because he had a very slow start, especially in the goal-scoring department, but his final numbers were pretty in line with his career and he might have pushed 40 points had the season not been cut short.
Compher has always been a favorite of Jared Bednar’s as his combination of speed, tenacity, and skill along with being one of Colorado’s few right-shot forwards has meant a lot of opportunities for him.
He’s moved around Colorado’s entire forward lineup in his career, from briefly hitting the fourth line during some stretches to being Colorado’s top center in their last regular season game against the Rangers.
That versatility has made him a very valuable player during his time and he’s become a fan-favorite because of his penchant for clutch goals (see: Game 2 against Calgary last year) and willingness to mix it up.
He’s not a very big player so his physicality says a lot about the heart he plays with.
And then there’s that classic goal-scoring ability as he has scored 40 goals in his first three full seasons in the NHL.
Joonas Donskoi – 65 GP, 16 G, 17 A, 33 Pts
Donskoi could have been included in yesterday’s preview of the new guys as he was also a summer acquisition but with his role being changed on a healthy roster, he’s sticking with the glue guys instead.
Like the two above, Donskoi’s game is marked by versatility. He can play both wing positions and has played anywhere from lines one through three this season. He was well on his way to a career-year until concussion issues not only cost him games but some of his effectiveness when he did manage to return.
At his best, Donskoi is a swiss-army-knife of a player who is decent defensively and a strong puck carrier through the neutral zone. He’s more playmaker than goal scorer and is prone to long scoring droughts but when he’s locked in, he’s as dangerous a player as you’ll find on a third line across the league.
He had a terrible year analytically and I think, given his career, he’s a sneaky candidate to blow up for the Avs in this postseason run.
