The Colorado Avalanche already have a list of injuries, and we have not reached day one of training camp. Two of those names are defensemen Samuel Girard and Jacob MacDonald. The trickle-down effect of these two injuries could affect not just the Avalanche, but also the Colorado Eagles. The backup plan that MacDonald could have come in for Girard is no longer there. So what do the Avalanche do now? Who remains in Loveland to fill the gaps and play the blue line? We answer these questions and the overall impact of two player’s injuries on the entire organization.

The Avalanche

Samuel Girard was going to be a second-pair defenseman alongside Josh Manson when the season started. They have shown excellent chemistry together, with Girard always skating with a bigger defenseman. This probably will bump Sam Malinski into the second pair with Manson. Malinski can provide a little spark of offense and can be mobile along the blue line. This leaves the gap on the third pair to be filled. Keaton Middleton will probably be the first choice of the Avalanche management, although that leaves a huge third pair with Brent Burns. The advantage here would be that Burns could act as a mentor to Middleton, who has 44 games of NHL experience. The seventh defenseman for the Avalanche could be Sean Behrens because he is waivers exempt. Behrens could be the best fit for the role, but he needs some time to gain experience.

The Eagles

The injury to Jacob MacDonald will leave a massive gap on the first pair alongside Jack Ahcan. The two played 23 minutes per game last season and were a big part of every situation for the Eagles. This could leave a tremendous opportunity for some young players to get some experience under their belts. Behrens will be the obvious choice to move up at the start of the season, but that leaves a gap in the third pair. Hank Kempf had an impressive showing in the six games he played last season, putting two assists on the board. He was also a standout this past weekend at the Rookie Showcase. Wyatt Aamodt and Ronnie Attard could round out the second pair with Alex Gagne or Saige Weinstein as Kempf’s partner. This would leave the third pair with just six games of AHL experience between them.

The Avalanche are trying to build up their defensive core, but injuries are escalating the situation. It is pushing the younger defensemen into situations that they would not normally be in. Some of these players would get top pair minutes in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies will get third pair minutes in Loveland. This could overall hurt their development and make the situation worse. Sometimes, playing 20 minutes a game at a lower level is better than playing 10 minutes at a high level.