I still think they'll sign someone else. No chance any of the kids get to play until there are injuries. ZAR is purely a 4th liner (and is good in that role); same for LOC. They're definitely banking on Kovalenko coming over after the KHL season. But they've got to find someone else or there will be depth problems again.

I guess it all depends on training camp, kovalenko won't be around until after the trade deadline.. can't play 60-70 games without someone to play 3RW.. even then kovalenko has to learn the system on North American ice

The Avs don't make decisions at training camp; they know who they want prior to that. Which sucks for the young guys but winning a job at training camp isn't really a thing for the Avs. We'll see if they sign a few more PTO's or someone like Heinen or ZAR. I wanted them to sign Suter but that obviously didn't happen.

I could see the Avs rolling with the 4th line but I can't believe they'd leave the 3rd RW open. They either have someone in mind or are already confident in someone coming up.

Macfarlane mentioned foudy in his oddseason presser

Yeah, he seems to be the frontrunner if they fill it with someone in the system.

They talk about their prospects every now and then but never really give them playing time. It would be out of character for them to slot a young guy into the lineup but, strange things do happen.

I believe that's because they've been in a win now window and bednar trusts the older guys and doesn't really have the patience to let the younger guys get their reps in at the nhl level to gain the exp needed at the expense of the game... unfortunately he's got no real option anymore with the cap issues and players like EJ helm, compher gone, and cogliano being held together with scotch tape.. adding in drouin and ryjo as total unknowns

It isn't necessarily just Bednar - it's the brass that isn't insisting that the young guys get time. If CMac and Sakic came to him tomorrow and told him Olausson and JLF were going to be on the roster and they expected them to play 10-14 minutes a night, he'd be obliged to do it, even if he didn't like it. They can definitely give waiver-exempt prospects some good playing time over the course of the season to see if they can make the jump full-time soon, they just don't want to. It's an organizational philosophy I don't agree with but it is what it is.

Not sure it's an organizational philosophy, I think bednars got a blank check and can do what he wants, because they don't have a better option to replace him and he could walk onto any team he wants after he just won the cup last year..

But I get what your saying, it's unfortunate to see colorados prospects never get into a game and just not develop in our system unless they are top 10 pick

IMO, if they make no attempt to get young guys real NHL playing time plus they're trading away productive NHL players like Newhook just to add a more expensive older guy, it's an organizational philosophy whether it's stated or not. They do give Bedsy a lot of latitude which is, again, a philosophy; some GMs and hockey ops guys are more hands off while others are more involved in personnel and playing time decisions. I do think, though, that if Bednar can't get more out of what he's given, they're going to make a change within the next few years so he may have to adjust his style a bit if he wants to stick around because he sure as hell isn't getting much help in the depth department from the FO.

Now that's where you've lost me.. newhook played 2 full years with the avs, the cup year he was very sheltered and didn't have the opportunity to move up the lineup, but last season he did, not only did he not seize the opportunity to become a top6 player even with all of their injuries by the playoffs they played Lars Eller over him.
Colorado outplayed Seattle in almost every playoff game but their issue was guys like newhook and erod getting pushed around.. then Cmac comes in and trades newhook a guy that isn't reaching his potential for a 1st rd pick and essentially ross colton who's more experienced, had a higher compete level and an edge that newhook doesn't have... obviously time will tell but colorado seems to have improved their team with that trade.

I'm referring to guys more like kaut and bowers and probably olousson wasting away in the minors

For some reason, I feel like this is it. I'm nervous

Loved the Newhook trade. Makes them a better team right now which is most important and gave them a D piece for the future.

Kaut and Bowers (Boston) are in the minors because they are just not good enough. Don't give up on Olausson. He's only 20 and just starting his ELC.