Colorado's forgotten prospect is making people remember him now

Upon hearing encouraging words from his head coach through an intermediary, Duncan Siemens allowed himself to relax ever so slightly, leaning back in his locker and allowing his shoulders to drop.

“You know, I think that goes a long way for me,” he admitted. “But as quick as those words were said they can be revoked, too, so for me, it’s just about making sure I bring that every night. It’s been three or four games now and I’ve got to find a way to just every time if I’m in the lineup from this point forward to continue progressing off of that, continue to get better and making sure that’s there every shift.”

The praise from Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar came after the team’s 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night. As the Avs were protecting a two-goal lead late in the third period, Bednar sent Siemens onto the ice, an enormous sign of trust in a player that has spent his entire career looking for some. When asked postgame about the decision, Bednar reinforced that trust in his 24-year-old defenseman.

“Just watching him play over the last handful of games, he limits his mistakes, plays hard, is physical in front of the net, he’s got a good stick,” Bednar stated. “He’s certainly putting his best foot forward here and we need him. He’s been really good. He’s been a nice surprise.”

It’s only been four games but he played just 10:22 at Vancouver on Feb. 20 and has seen significant gains in ice time since then. His manhandling of Connor McDavid when the Edmonton Oilers superstar tried to jet past him was an impressive display and a reminder of just how intriguing his combination of size and skating has always been. It’s never been the tools so much as a player struggling to believe in himself, especially in the wake of limited opportunities over the years.

“Just trusting myself, knowing that I can go out there and make the simple play, be physical and be able to contribute that way I think is huge,” Siemens told BSN Denver. “Not trying to do too much. You’re comfortable but not too comfortable. You don’t want to get too comfortable because that’s when you make mistakes. You don’t want to take things for granted and you’ve got to make sure you’re pushing yourself every day and just take it a day at a time.”

That Siemens allowed himself to relax, even ever so slightly, is a surprise as he spends his time making sure he’s doing everything he can to remain in the NHL. It’s the attitude of a player who has had to fight, often literally, for every scrap of ice he’s been asked to defend. It wasn’t supposed to be this way for the once highly-touted Siemens but here we sit in 2018 as Colorado’s forgotten prospect forces his way back to relevance in the heart of the team’s playoff run.

June 24, 2011.

The Colorado Avalanche have two of the top 11 picks in the NHL Entry Draft. They’re coming off a frustrating 68-point season, their worst since moving to Colorado in 1995. With young players like Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly setting up the future to be a bright one for the Avs, their two selections here will likely define the next generation of Avalanche hockey.

With the second selection, the Avalanche selected forward Gabe Landeskog. Everyone is familiar with that story. Landeskog was named captain in his second season, the youngest in NHL history at the time, and as of this writing has the most games played (486) and points (324) in the 2011 draft class.

At pick 11, acquired from the St. Louis Blues (and was top-10 protected!) in the Erik Johnson blockbuster, the Avalanche selected defenseman Duncan Siemens.

In watching that video, you saw his NHL comparable as Bryan Allen, a player who spent parts of 14 seasons patrolling NHL blue lines with a nasty edge to his game. As a supreme skater for his size, Siemens was going to be a perfect complement to the all-around excellence of Johnson, a hit machine who would force oncoming puck carriers to play a pick-your-poison game that only contained painful endings.

Early on, things were fine. The offensive production of his draft year dropped off but he lost his partner and fellow Avalanche prospect Stefan Elliott to pro hockey graduation, so it was expected. He was never drafted for offense anyway. He was the youngest player in his draft class. No need for concern. Hey, he even played three games in the AHL at the end of the 2012 season.

Siemens stayed one more season with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL before going pro full-time. All of this was a perfectly normal timeline. His first pro year coincided with the organization’s regime change from Greg Sherman and Joe Sacco to Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. The band was back together and they were taking the Avalanche to glory.

While the Avalanche cycled through defensemen at the NHL level, Siemens consistently underwhelmed in the minors. His puck management wasn’t good enough, he struggled in pressure situations and injuries played a significant role in limiting the number of games he played. In his first two years, Siemens played just 100 of a possible 152 games in the AHL.

With the Avalanche out of the playoffs in 2014-15, Siemens was called up for the final game of Colorado’s season. His NHL debut was against the Chicago Blackhawks. Many hoped it was the start of something after he played a decent game. Training camp rolled around for the next year and. … nothing doing. Siemens struggled to get into even preseason games before being sent down to the AHL.

Colorado clearly was not enamored with their former top defensive prospect. That stagnation lasted for another year and even when Jared Bednar was hired in Colorado to replace Roy, Siemens was consistently passed up by other defensemen. At the end of a 48-point fiasco, Siemens again saw a late-season call-up, getting three games this time. Unlike with Roy, there seemed to be a rapport between player and coach.

Fast forward to training camp at the beginning of this season. Bednar openly talked about giving fresh opportunities to returning players and the team was dedicating its season to a youth movement. Siemens struggled with the same inconsistency that seemed to always plague him and he was, for the second time in two years, put on waivers and went unclaimed en route to beginning the season once again in San Antonio.

“It was a very competitive camp,” Siemens said. “I feel like there we some times in camp where maybe the consistency wasn’t there, a few mistakes that can’t happen out of a guy that plays the way I do, so for me it was obviously disappointing. You never want to get sent to the [AHL], it’s not what anyone plays for but I think it gave me an opportunity to go work on my game, get some confidence back, and that’s the key right there. You can play confident and believe in yourself, that’s when you’re going to be at your best.”

Now in his seventh season removed from that first-round selection, Siemens was considered “the other pick” in the 2011 draft. The face of Colorado’s failure to draft and develop quality defensemen, he had to allow himself to move on from that perception in order to find his peace. Health, confidence, and a trusted role as one of San Antonio’s top defensemen allowed Siemens to re-adjust and get back to being himself.

“I think I took some pressure off myself,” Siemens explained of his mental refocus. “In my early years, I put too much pressure on myself I think. It was one of those things where I had very high expectations, and I still do, but I think just the maturity, having more years pro, knowing exactly what the lifestyle is like, how to take care of yourself, knowing what the game is like, the day in and day out life, and just you know being a good pro has really helped me. You can always continue to get better at that stuff. As far as the expectations go, just going out there and playing, having fun, and doing what got me this far, not trying to do too much. There are times I think in my early years I was trying to be something I wasn’t just because I felt like I had that expectation and that’s not what they saw in me to begin with so I just got back to who I was as a player and then built off that.”

Siemens continued accepting Colorado’s annual qualifying offers to remain with the organization. They weren’t giving up on him completely, just keeping him at arm’s length. His persistence and patience finally paid off, as the Avalanche ran into a string of injuries along the blue line and he got inserted into the lineup in the middle of the team’s push for the playoffs. Part of the reason he found his way into the lineup over other players was Bednar and his coaching staff, who trusted him when others were prepared to move on.

“Everything has been pretty positive so far,” Siemens said of his communication with the coaches. “They’re very open, very willing to answer any questions you have. They’re always there to help. If they see something, they’ll come chat with you. For a guy like me, that goes a long way just trying to earn their trust and get a little rope to play with.”

His relationship with Colorado’s defensive coach, Nolan Pratt, has been especially fruitful early on as Siemens builds that rapport with a coaching staff desperate to keep the team involved in a highly competitive playoff race.

“He’s been very helpful,” Siemens said of his work with Pratt. “Anytime that he sees something, he doesn’t hesitate to come let you know what he wants to see from you. I think with that open line of communication it makes it that much easier going out there knowing exactly what’s expected and what’s going to get you more ice time. I think that’s been imperative for me.”

His refusal to look beyond just the day at hand is natural for a player who has watched his organization draft 17 other defensemen since he was picked and 24 other players suit up along the Avalanche blue line since he turned pro full-time in 2013. The world of professional sports is especially cruel to those who live on the fringes and Siemens has managed to hang on, even if just barely at times. But he’s here, a positive contributor to an NHL team that sits just two points out of a playoff spot. The do-or-die atmosphere has brought out the best in Siemens so far, which only makes sense for a player who has been in that position as a failed prospect for a number of years now.

“For the most part, I think I’m feeling better as the games go on,” he allowed. “I think obviously there’s a little bit of a learning curve, a little bit different pace, different style of game than in the [AHL]. But I feel like as long as I keep it simple and stick to my strengths I’ll be okay and be able to help contribute to hopefully a lot of success in the future.”

As the trade deadline passed, the Avalanche followed the common practice of “papering” three players, sending them down to the AHL and calling them back up so they would be eligible to play for the Rampage again. Siemens was not on that list, a commitment by the Avalanche of keeping him through the end of the season. Barring injury, this will be his most significant stint with the NHL team. For the first time in his pro career, he’s not being kept at an arm’s length and being given a real opportunity. That it comes in the thick of a hunt for the playoffs only enhances the experience.

“That’s why you play the game,” Siemens said with his first smile of the day. “This is a fun time of year to play. Every game you’ve got to fight for your life and we’re right there. We have high expectations in this room as a group. To be able to go out there to contribute to some success is going to be imperative. You’ve just got to go out there and make sure you’re pulling your weight. If everyone does that in here, things will come.”

It’s a young team Siemens joined, among the youngest in the NHL, in fact. But it’s a group he already knows well and fits in with. Last week as the team was preparing to leave for its final road trip through western Canada, including a stop in his hometown of Edmonton, Siemens and fellow child of the Edmonton area Tyson Jost got into a heated conversation about the intricacies of curling. The two engaged in friendly banter back and forth, ultimately deciding to settle their differences on the curling ice Jost frequented as a boy. The interaction was commonplace in a locker room of young men trying to find their way in the NHL and as a team with playoff aspirations.

“We have a real tight group in here,” Siemens said. “Everyone has been very welcoming. I’ve been with the organization for quite some years now so just through camps and various times throughout different seasons I’ve gotten a chance to know a few different people. Everyone has been real good making me feel welcome. It settles the nerves a little bit and allows you just to focus on what you need to do.”

Given his circuitous route to his first real NHL opportunity, the last thing likely to undo Duncan Siemens at this point is nerves.