When the Colorado Avalanche take the ice against New Jersey tonight, all eyes will be on young defensemen Nikita Zadorov and rookie Chris Bigras, but they aren’t the only talented youngsters with ties to the Avalanche who will be part of Thursday’s game. Joseph Blandisi, an unsigned 6th round pick for the Avalanche in 2012 will also make his first return to Colorado since going unsigned by the team in 2014.
In a 2013-2014 campaign where Blandisi scored 50 points in 47 games, the Colorado Avalanche elected not to give Blandisi an entry level contract after the young center’s season was cut short by a strange illness. Vertigo and persistent balance issues cast Blandisi’s playing future in doubt and the Avalanche opted for a safer option, instead signing a number of undrafted free agents like Sam Henley, Dennis Everberg, and Borna Rendulic.
After going undrafted in his second trip through the NHL Entry Draft and unsigned through development camp with the Winnipeg Jets and training camp with the Buffalo Sabres, Blandisi returned to the OHL as an over-ager with few NHL prospects. Many players would see their hockey careers fizzle from there, but the young centerman responded with a jaw dropping 52 goal 112 point season for the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Blandisi trailed only top prospects Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, and Dylan Strome in OHL scoring that season. In addition to his impressive uptick in production, Blandisi grew by two inches and nearly 20 pounds since being drafted in 2012.
The Devils signed Blandisi to an ELC in the middle of last season and in the year since he’s worked his way all the way to the NHL. If you have to take the hard road to the big leagues, that’s the way to do it.
Now, in his second call up of the season, Blandisi will play his 6th NHL game, facing the team that let him walk away. Blandisi is still looking for his first NHL goal, but has played well and caught the attention of New Jersey fans and media. Blandisi has seven shots in his five regular season games so far and registered his first NHL point in a tough-luck loss to the Blues Tuesday night.
It’s hard to fault the Avalanche for moving on from Blandisi given the timing and severity of his illness but that’s how luck goes sometimes in the unpredictable world of NHL management. Blandisi’s hard road back the NHL is a great feel good story, but the Avs will surely be sad to miss out on hands like these:
