CENTENNIAL, Colo. — We have rolled into day two of the Colorado Avalanche training camp, and bubble players continue to fight for the last spots on the Avs roster. The nerves of Day One have now worn off and a lot of the younger crowd looked a lot more comfortable on their lines. Group two took to the ice first on Friday with the only change in the roster being that Cale Makar joined them. Colorado Eagles’ captain Jayson Megna, who was wearing a bubble on Thursday, was also not present on Friday. Maroš Jedlička replaced Megna on the fifth-line in Group Two.

L’Heureux continues to impress us

When the Avalanche acquired Zachary L’Heureux in late June, we felt uncertain about it. But ever since we have watched him at captain skates and training camp, we are more impressed every time. He has toned down his aggression that we saw him use in the AHL and told reporters it is something he is working on. He has been playing smart hockey. L’Heureux has been going straight to the net in most of the drills to gather loose pucks. This is something that we love to see from every player. If L’Heureux continues this effort through camp, he has secured a spot on the fourth-line for sure.

Makar makes progress

Cale Makar made some significant progress in his rehab on day two. He not only skated alone before the main group, but stayed the entire time with them. Previously, the longest Makar has been on the ice has been 30 minutes. On Friday, he stayed out for almost two full hours. Makar was still in a red non-contact sweater, but this was a step in the right direction for the start of the season.

Gagne makes his case

Alex Gagne continues to make his case as a first-option call-up for the Avs this season. He has been paired with Josh Manson for the last two days and has not skipped a beat. Gagne has shown that he can communicate like an NHL defenseman and even keep up like one too. Gagne’s development over the last year has been something to behold. He came in as an untested rookie and is now shaping up as an NHL defenseman. Gagne’s 6-foot-4 frame also helps too. It is exactly what the Avs need on the blue line with his ability to kill penalties too.

Up next

The Avs will get a earlier start on Saturday with an 8:45 a.m. start time for training camp. This will be the final day of training camp with Utah Mammoth coming to Denver on Sunday for the first of four preseason games. at this time there has been no television broadcast announced for the game.