Top 25 Avalanche Under 25: #11 Duncan Siemens

As we approach the top 10 of the Top 25 Avalanche Under 25 series, don’t forget to read previous installments on #12 Conner Bleackley, #13 Freddie Hamilton, and #14 Andrew Agozzino.

Today’s focus is on #11, Duncan Siemens. The lawn-guarding defenseman averaged a 10.7 ranking with five of the BSN Avalanche writers ranking him 11th and one ranking him 9th. Fitting that Siemens comes in at 11 as he was the 11th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft and is on the verge of fulfilling that promise and breaking into the NHL.

Who is Duncan Siemens?
The second of the Avs first round picks in 2011, Siemens played on a pairing with Avs prospect Stefan Elliott, one of the most formidable pairings in the WHL. Upon Elliott’s departure to professional hockey after Siemens was drafted, Siemens struggled mightily to adjust and his development path was significantly slower than was expected on draft day.

Given the captaincy of the Blades in his final year of junior hockey, Siemens had a disastrous start to the year both in the locker room and on the ice. Stripped of his captaincy and not voted as an alternate by his teammates, Siemens would rebound and finish his junior career strong and on a high note.

Siemens began his pro career in 2013 and played mostly uneven hockey before suffering through some injury issues, missing 28 games. 2014-15 would represent the biggest leap in development for Siemens as not only did his play calm down and improve but he also was given a chance to show what he could do in the NHL, playing in the final game of Colorado’s season.

To answer the question of “Who is Duncan Siemens?”, who better to ask than the man himself?

And because Siemens loves to throw ’em, let’s enjoy him punching someone.

What is the future for Duncan Siemens?

You mean, could the Avalanche use a 6’3″, 210 pound smooth-skating defenseman with puck skills and a mean streak? It’s safe to say Siemens’ future is on the Avalanche blue line. His combination of abilities and the dearth of quality talent on the Avs blue line, especially from the left side where Siemens calls home, means he should be contending for a job in the NHL next season.

Because the NHL is a league where young players have to prove they can play and older players have to prove they no longer can’t, the time table for Siemens staying in the NHL permanently is murky. With this off-season still to come and the majority of Colorado’s blue line still under contract through at least next season, there isn’t an abundance of room for Siemens to make his mark on the NHL roster without displacing an entrenched veteran, something the current management regime has been reluctant to do.

Still, this should be Siemens’ first and only season seeing serious ice time as a member of the San Antonio Rampage, Colorado’s new AHL affiliate. Expect to see him patrolling the Colorado blue line within the next two seasons displaying all the ferocity of your traditional no-nonsense defensive defenseman. He should make a strong push in training camp before next season but the numbers game dictates that everyone should expect one more AHL season before he calls Colorado home for good.