I walked into Pepsi Center for Game 3 of the Avalanche-Sharks series fully expecting a good goaltending matchup. Boy was I wrong. It wasn’t a good matchup, it was downright historic.

Craig Anderson made 51 saves for the shutout, including 21 in both the second and third period alone, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped every scoring chance thrown his way in what was by far the most memorable hockey game and goaltending matchup I’ve witnessed live since the NHL Lockout ended.

So many things will be written about Anderson’s performance, including the lop-sided shot total of 51-16, the number of penalties he helped kill, the sheer quality and quantity of scoring chances against him and the fact that almost the entire third period was spent in his own zone.

Yes, all of those things are glorious morsels of information about one of the most dominant goaltending performances in Pepsi Center since Patrick Roy won the Stanley Cup in 2001. He was exhausted at times, he was lucky at times, but more often than not, he just simply executed to perfection. But few will talk about or explain the importance of his ability to stay composed throughout this game, mainly because it’s not something that can be quantified statistically.

The reason Anderson was so focused in this game was due to his aggressiveness and fierce focus. He established a presence very early in the game and never backed into his blue paint. No matter how much crease-crashing or screening or deflecting happened in front of his net, he never once relinquished his space.

Establishing a certain amount of healthy space in front of the net isn’t easy, especially against the Sharks, because it forces a goalie to exert energy and react. And when that happens, a goalie is mentally distracted and they are forced to do things that take their mind off the task at hand of stopping and tracking pucks.

On a number of occasions, Anderson would jab a Sharks player with his stick to keep them out of his crease, push back players with his gloves and most importantly, when bodies were battling against each other in his crease, he displayed maturity and focus by skating away from the nonsense. He stayed in his own personal bubble of perfection.

You hear so often about a goalie being in the zone and seeing the puck turn into the size of a beach ball. That’s so very true, and that perfect combination of rhythm and focus is often the difference between a shutout and one bad bounce or one goal against.

But Anderson’s performance in Game 3 was so much more than just the aligning of stars or the luck of pure timing. It was a masterful display of extremely high work ethic and composure. There were tons of hits, 15 Sharks power play shots against him, long periods of grueling movement and tracking in the zone and a lot of calls from the referees. Regardless, Anderson’s focus on stopping the puck and his ability to block everything else out of his mind was the reason why he had the energy to sustain the Sharks’ onslaught late in the third period. It was the most effective mental management of a playoff hockey game from an inexperienced playoff goalie that I may have ever seen.

So as you watch these glorious playoff games remember what composure means to a goaltender and learn what it looks like. Of all the endless topics and moments I could have discussed in this week’s School of Block, none is more important than composure because it’s a lesson in life that no person or player is exempt from learning.

Composure is passing up chances to draw an interference penalty. Composure is not taking liberties with players above your crease when their back is turned. Composure is staying in the net instead of trying to go out and make a risky poke check or pass. Composure is not reacting negatively to the referee when a questionable goal is scored. Composure is literally hiding all emotion and revealing stone-cold poise.

And most importantly, composure is the ability for a goalie to eliminate chances for the other team to gain confidence.

And starting today, we are excited to be offering the same service, but for all of us die-hard Avalanche fans!

So if you’ve ever wanted a simple and easy listing of what type of pads every Avalanche player wears during regulation games, you’ve come to the right place. But PadsTracker is not just a listing, it’s also an interactive service that you won’t find anywhere else, as we invite readers from all reaches of the globe to get involved and help keep our list 100% accurate! Here’s how it works:

1. Check out PadsTracker and watch for any changes in Avalanche games.

2. Contact us (info@thehockeyguild.com) and request to be a PadsTracker Editor.

3. We will reply with a list of rules and guidelines regarding the PadsTracker.

4. Once you understand the rules, you’ll be added to our Online Google Docs list.

5. This feature will allow you to make changes to the PadsTracker when necessary.

6. Make the changes, save the file and the PadsTracker is updated automatically.

So there you have it - PadsTracker is now up and running for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check back often, as players are almost always breaking in new gear or switching sticks. And just a heads up – this list is for regular season and playoff games only, not pre-season or practices! Enjoy this free feature and thanks for viewing!

In their final cuts, the Avs announced the reassignment of center Chris Durno, defenseman Derek Peltier and goaltender Tyler Weiman to the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.

These cuts confirmed what Avalanche fans have all been hoping for: to see Matt Duchene in an Avs sweater during the season opener on Thursday. Also joining Duchene will be second round draft pick (#33 overall), center Ryan O’Reilly.

While Duchene was met with much anticipation, O’Reilly was met with curiosity. Thought to go in the top-20 in the NHL Entry Draft, O’Reilly fell all the way to the second round where the Avs management practically did an Irish jig while going up to the podium to select him.

O’Reilly has been described by NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards as, “…very responsible defensively. He backchecks hard and he’s very good at identifying his check in his own end. He’s very good at the defensive end of the game.”

O’Reilly has also been noted by Denver Post writer Adrian Dater for his great stick work.

Duchene, on the other hand, is seen as the new face of the franchise alongside, and even above, Paul Stastny. Duchene has great speed, quick wrists, a hard shot and prowess in the defensive zone. Up to the draft, there was talk that the Islanders might in fact take Duchene first of all. However, after a tense couple of hours, two selections and a fist pump, Duchene was selected by the Avs.

At the time of his selection Duchene thought that he was “really close” to being NHL ready and couldn’t wait until camp to try and make the team.

While the Avs wasted little time in signing Duchene on July 16, O’Reilly had to wait a little longer to get his entry-level contract. Coming into camp, O’Reilly flew under the radar but separated himself from the rest of the pack through his play and earned his three-year entry level contract on Sept. 21. 

With the cuts, it is apparent that the Avs are at least going to test Duchene and O’Reilly, both 18 years old, in the first portion of the season. Now, the Avs get ten games to look at the future of their franchise and see exactly where it is heading.

This is a great step forward for the Avs, as they are giving their two brightest center prospects a chance to make the club for the entire season and try to make a difference that will allow this team to escape the cellar of the NHL.

Aaron Musick covers the Colorado Avalanche for HockeyBuzz and will be providing insight on The Avalanche Guild all season long!

Personally, today was a very cool experience. I noticed that on Sunday, none of the nets were equipped with Edge ProTech skate blade protectors. I’m pretty sure a ton of NHL equipment managers are using them on a consistent basis, so I made sure to bring a pair with me.

When Weiman was heading on the ice, I caught him before he hit the ice and asked if he wanted to borrow them. He gladly accepted of course, so I’m proud to say that The Goalie Guild helped Weiman and Budaj save the edges on their blades throughout this mini-practice session with Jocelyn Thibault.

This first video is pretty straightforward. Anytime a goalie works on their lateral movement while in the butterfly, it’s actually more beneficial for me to watch upper body positioning. Pretty much every NHL/AHL goalie is solid at pushing off in a strong and efficient manner, so the main thing I key in on is their upper body, including the shoulders, chest and arms.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

Budaj was definitely more relaxed than he was on Sunday, but his rebound control still left something to be desired. But the one thing that really stuck out through this second set of drills was his slight leaning to the left (glove side).

It’s not a major defect or anything like that, but to me it’s a noticeable difference compared to Weiman’s upper body positioning. Budaj’s shoulders are broader, but his left arm and glove is so tight to his side that he looks too tense. Weiman’s shoulders to me are much more relaxed and parallel to the crossbar.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

The first thing I’d point out right away from this third video is Budaj’s body language. The first four seconds he’s caught hunched over with his head down. Now I can’t tell if this is from fatigue or if he’s trying to focus, but regardless, I think the key for a goalie is to always stand up straight. Not only is it easier to breathe, it’s just overall much better body language.

The first shot he faces results in a juicy rebound and the puck being roofed over his glove (by Adam Deadmarsh). I was not very impressed with Budaj’s body language after he allowed that goal. Once again his head was buried and he was all hunched over. On the rest of the shots, his shoulders are noticeably slanted and he barely leans to his left. This isn’t a major thing, but it’s noticeable.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

Overall, I’m still very impressed with Weiman’s composure, confidence and body language. He’s a little bigger in the net than Budaj thanks to a slightly wider stance and butterfly and he has a tremendous attitude. Budaj was not nearly as rusty as he was on Sunday, but I still wasn’t that impressed with his body language and rebound control.

And yes, Tyler was very nice in returning my Edge ProTech’s back. Thanks Weims!!

Jocelyn Thibault, just one full season removed from his 14-year NHL career, was quietly named the new goalie consultant for the Colorado Avalanche last week. Sure enough, Thibault was on the ice Sunday morning for the first day of Avs Training Camp and did some remarkable work that I’m proud to share with you today. It was a beneficial morning for me in a number of ways, none more important than learning what kind of an instant impact Thibault had on some of the Avalanche goalie prospects.

But before we dig into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a few other notes I had from the first day of Avs training camp:

PETER BUDAJ – Budaj was extremely rusty throughout the first hour of camp. He simply never got into much of a rhythm. He was playing a half-step deeper than usual and struggled with his rebound control. He never seemed comfortable and his upper body seemed tight. His body language reflected a lot of tense frustration as he reacted late to some shots and dropped early on others.

It was fairly obvious to me that Budaj was feeling the heat in a number of ways. In fact, one could argue that he’s facing more pressure than any other Avalanche player. Not only is he set to be dethroned by Craig Anderson, but he’s also constantly being pushed by a confident Tyler Weiman.

From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn’t put much value in Budaj’s stock heading into the season. Between Weiman and Anderson, Budaj has the least amount of confidence and is also under the most scrutiny from the media and fans. Unfortunately, the biggest enemy Budaj will face all season will be himself. And until he comes to an internal realization that he has to show more composure, Budaj will struggle to play consistently and run hot and cold.

TYLER WEIMAN – With even better footwork than before, Weiman is still consistently progressing. Even on a horrible Lake Erie team last year, Weiman was one of the steadiest performers in the AHL. He looks sharper than usual and skated with a lot of confidence, like he was totally bulletproof. He’s no longer fazed by anything or anyone, nor should he, for this is his seventh consecutive Avs training camp. His mindset and body language was terrific.

To be blunt, Weiman is so solid that Budaj seems to be hanging on by a thread. I don’t mean to take away from Budaj’s game, but it’s getting to the point where even the casual Avs fan is wondering why Weiman has only played half a period in the NHL. This is a question that has to be asked over and over again because there’s simply no excuse for not giving him at least one opportunity this season.

So it’s my conviction that Weiman will be called up at least once and play extremely well in his limited chances. In the meantime, at least we know he’ll get plenty of work and minutes in the AHL.

BILLY SAUER & PETER DELMAS - It’s amazing what a young goalie can do when they actually take a little time to think about what they’re doing. It also helps when the team’s goalie consultant is on the ice to make adjustments. Most skaters are there to battle against one another for a spot on a roster, but for some goalies, it’s more about impressing the coaching staff and absorbing every little piece of information that comes from the goalie coach.

Sauer, a big goalie with great coverage down low in his own right, does not have the best mobility or quickness. In fact I worked up a scouting chart on him back on Wednesday, which was the first day of Rookie Training Camp. It’s not hard to see that Sauer is a good step slower than Weiman, Budaj and Peter Delmas.

But all Thibault had to do was run two drills, make one minor adjustment to Sauer’s footwork and everything totally clicked. This not only turned a pressure-filled training camp experience into a mini semi-private lesson, but it also improved the organization’s depth while at the same time allowing the scouts to do their job. Overall, it was a great display of pure development straight from Thibault’s mind, something every GM wants to see on a daily basis.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

In the first video, Thibault uses four pucks to explain a basic system for tracking the puck around the crease. It splits the ice up into six zones – four behind the net split up from end board to end board and two out front, one on either side of the ice. David Marcoux, the former goalie coach in Calgary, actually taught Kiprusoff and many other pro goalies this exact system (It’s also the one I was taught five years ago). The drill Thibault runs with Sauer is just about setting your feet quick enough so that you can control your body’s movement and therefore the rebound.

What I noticed in this drill (starting at 1:30) is that Sauer covers the lower portion of the net in impressive fashion due to his great size. But his feet aren’t the quickest and because of that, he doesn’t have very good body control. He hunches over and leans forward when he drops into the butterfly, which causes some bad rebounds and takes away from an efficient recovery. His body is not in great alignment and that causes him to lose speed and not generate as much power getting back to his feet. He also doesn’t take up as much space up high because his shoulders are hunched and his back isn’t completely straight. Overall his inefficient footwork leads to some juicy rebounds and you can see Thibault most likely explaining some of these aspects to him at the end of the video.

(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)

This second video totally hits home the importance of a quality goalie coach to the prospects in this system. On Sauer’s first three shots, he’s still leaning forward like before. He flies out towards the shooter because his body’s momentum carries him forward. He was a little sharper going to his right, but his shoulders were still hunched over.

But at 1:05, Thibault does a remarkable job of giving Sauer some great feedback about the path his skates travel. Instead of sliding out towards the shooter to cut down the angle, Sauer is better off setting his feet sooner and cutting off the angle deeper in his crease. This is a luxury a big goalie can afford, as this adjustment will allow him to drop into the butterfly in a faster manner and control the rebound with more ease.

At 1:10, you see Thibault show Sauer exactly how to adjust his movement. To paraphrase, stopping on a dime instead of sliding out past the top of his crease will come from setting his feet sooner. The result will be better body control, better balance and then an ability to recover just a little bit quicker than before.

At 1:50, Delmas steps in and shows Sauer how it’s done. Delmas is flat out a terrific skater. He moves in a more efficient manner when it comes to shots in tight and his feet are very quick and get set sooner than Sauer’s. Even though Delmas doesn’t have the big body (listed 11 pounds lighter than Sauer), he’s much quicker going post to post.

Delmas doesn’t exert nearly as much energy even though he might need to travel a further distance because he’s a smaller goalie, which allows him to get the knees down quickly and have better rebound control. Another positive to Delmas’ game is that he has a very straight back and takes away a large portion of the top of the net. That straight back means a lot, because it allows for better alignment and quicker recovery time.

Then everything clicks when Sauer goes back in the net at 2:40. The first shot to his right, he’s in a little more control of his body. The second one was excellent and the third one was even better. As my comments point out, he was set sooner and was in much better control of his body. The fourth and fifth shot to his left were a little off-balanced but he finishes with a strong one. And did you notice his rebounds were placed in much better areas?

Now this is all pretty straightforward stuff for a goalie to absorb in a few hours, but what happens when Thibault isn’t around to keep providing Sauer with that feedback? This is where goalies must show a lot of mental strength. Sauer has to train his mind to be consistent with what he just learned. He’s a bigger goalie – he doesn’t need to come out as far as a smaller goalie does. So there’s more advantageous things he could be doing with his feet that end up saving time, energy and most importantly, bad rebounds.

In conclusion, this was just a few minutes of basic goalie drills, but as you can see, a good goalie coach can turn it into something beyond valuable. Every moment a prospect gets that type of feedback, the stock of that goalie rises by leaps and bounds. But without the constant feedback, goalies have to work even harder at being mentally tough enough to retain the information and execute correctly on a consistent basis.

Thirty goalie coaches in the league work on hundreds of prospects in an effort to improve the organization’s depth. But as I’m often found saying, goaltending is 90% mental. So no matter how much a goalie learns in a single day, if they don’t apply themselves and stay focused, it’s all for naught. This barely scratches the surface of the goalie consultant’s impact, but as you can see, it’s a vital and invaluable aspect of developing players at that position.

What impact does a goalie coach have on your fantasy team’s goalies? What kind of adjustments to a goalie’s game did you see or hear about over the summer? And most importantly – how consistent is the goalie playing? These are questions you should be asking in order to not only understand the position better, but to give you an edge from a fantasy perspective. Having the answers will make drafting goalies less of a headache and more of an opportunity.

It was also the first time we noticed Jocelyn Thibault on the ice working with the Avs goalies. Peter Delmas, Tyler Weiman and Billy Sauer spent the majority of the day with Thibault, which included some informal introductions, plenty of smiles and the discussion of a few simple drills. This is just one of them:

I was beyond impressed with Thibault’s work with the goalies on the ice. He handled introductions promptly, and as you can see, got right down to business by warming up the goalies for the scrimmage. Budaj’s rust was pretty visible from the get-go. I noticed that he played at least a half-step deeper in his crease than usual and he seemed tense and tight in the shoulders. Numerous times in the first hour of drills he was beaten under the elbows or top-shelf. I also caught him doing a lot of this throughout the drills:

There was some visible negative feedback, as he would turn his head and shoulders in frustration while getting back into his butterfly stance after allowing a goal. I’m not sure how he performed during the scrimmage, but many fans I spoke to afterwards agreed that his timing was off. At least with all the time I spent watching Budaj today, I did snag a photo of his mask:

I have no idea who that is on the edge of his mask (the right side), but we can tell you that Ned Flanders is proudly displayed on the backplate once again, but this time in a larger size than ever before. There’s also a motorcycle being blanketed by the checkered flag right above the unknown character.

Stay tuned for tomorrow morning’s SCHOOL OF BLOCK, which will bring you an inside look at some other dynamics Thibault brought to the Avs goaltending regime and how it should really benefit the organization’s depth at that position.

Sure enough, once Rookie Camp ended for the day, the handful of fans in the stands were treated to one heck of a surprise. It turns out that most of the veterans tossed on their skates and hit the ice for some friendly one-hour scrimmage with the rookies on both sheets! It was an unexpected turn of events, but one that The Avalanche Guild absorbed and embraced with a grin from ear to ear.

Although we were impressed by a number of the young guns on this Avalanche squad, including Derek Peltier, Matt Duchene, Ryan Stoa, Ryan O’Reilly, T.J. Galiardi and more, probably the most impressive aspect of the first day of camp was the overall positive atmosphere created by the players and coaching staff.

Every single player not only seemed focused, but fired up and ready for the season to get underway. All seven goalies were sharp from the get-go and the work ethic seemed to seep onto all four benches on both sheets of ice.

Personally we were most impressed with Chris Stewart, who noticeably looks to be in the best physical shape of his career. Not only did his stride look stronger and more powerful than it did in April, but he was lighter on his skates and more agile on the back-check. Newcomer David Koci was also quite impressive, as his skating ability combined with his size and stature made him seem like a monster amongst men.

Stastny’s shot seemed a little sharper than usual, as we noticed he picked the corner on Craig Anderson and Tyler Weiman a few times. John-Michael Liles looked in great shape as well, as he was jumping up into the offensive plays with ease and in an almost casual manner. Once the scrimmages were over, fans were treated to a practice fight between Stewart and Matt Hendricks, and as you can see by the photo below, it was a great way to get pumped up for the rest of camp.

Simply put, it was an impressive and exciting day to be at Family Sports Center. The attitude, atmosphere and anticipation was nowhere near the level of this time last year. The more time that goes by, the more we feel like this team will be surprising many pundits that ranked this team 13th or 14th in the Western Conference.

*Stay tuned for more updates and photos as Rookie Training Camp continues. Remember that regular training camp starts Sunday morning and is open to the public!

September is finally here and that means hockey season is just around the corner. In fact, rookie camp begins on the morning of Sept. 9 at Family Sports Center. That will mark the official start of a new chapter in the Colorado Avalanche history books, as this will be the first season without long-time captain Joe Sakic leading the way.

This year is a pivotal season for the Avalanche organization. They finished 15th in the Western Conference last year and 22 points out of a playoff spot, making it the second time in three seasons they failed to make the playoffs. Before missing the post-season with 95 points in 2006-07, the Avs were playoff bound every single season since moving to Denver. That was until last season’s distastrous campaign of course, one that was plagued by costly long-term injuries to Sakic and Paul Stastny, the Avs’ top two centers.

The Avs’ off-season started with a frenzied fire-sale and a complete overhaul of the entire coaching staff. The moves were highlighted by the firing of former general manager Francois Giguere and the hiring of former assistant GM Greg Sherman. It was a move that initially raised some controversy, mainly due to the fact that Patrick Roy was also rumored to be considered for the job as GM, and possibly the head coaching job as well.

Towards the All-Star break, there were some changes that needed to be made if the Avs were going to make the playoffs. But only one deal was made before the deadline when Jordan Leopold was traded back to Calgary for a draft pick. It came as a surprise that Ian Laperriere was not moved at the deadline - not because the Avs were desperate to get rid of him - but because of the interest other teams had in acquiring his services.

Surely the Avs could have received one or more solid acquistions in exchange for Laperriere. Instead, they ended up losing him to the Flyers during free agency back in July. Amongst many other trade rumors back in July, one involved Ryan Smyth going to San Jose in exchange for Jonathan Cheechoo. For rebuilding purposes, the deal would’ve certainly made sense, but it never actually transpired.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the Avalanche didn’t have much wiggle room to sign free agents. But they did make a trade that could prove to be a good one in future seasons when they dealt Smyth, the high-priced veteran left winger, to Los Angeles in exchange for Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey and a draft choice. Smyth was the Avalanche’s most consistent player last season and was a fan favorite due to his hard work ethic and grit around the net. Ultimately, however, it came down to salary cap issues, so off he went to LA and in return the Avs received a former Colorado College defenseman (Preissing) and a puck-moving blueliner that developed in the Red Wings’ system (Quincey).

With training camp less than ten days away, the Avs are now ready to enter new territory. Regarded as one of the league’s elite teams for nearly a decade, let’s not forget that they won nine consecutive Division Titles, two Stanley Cups, made four trips to the Conference Finals, accumulated 487 consecutive sellouts and 11 playoff berths in 13 seasons of play here in Colorado.

Now the team’s goal is to just make the playoffs.

Stastny and Wojtek Wolski are set to be the team’s top two centers, but having lost both Laperriere and Cody McCormick to free agency means the Avalanche will need a few more right wingers to step up. They have many young up and coming players at the center, so some of the natural centers in their system may be asked to play on either wing this season. second-year forward T.J. Hensick could possibly be one of those players asked to move.

Recent college graduates Justin Mercier and Brandon Yip are coming off of solid collegiate careers and both will enter their first professional seasons. Yip won an NCAA Championship last season with Boston University (along with recently drafted goalie Kieran Millan) and Mercier led the University of Miami-Ohio team to the championship game against Yip’s Terriers.

Simply put, this team has a lot of work to do before the roster is completed in late-September, so let’s take a look at ten players to watch for the upcoming season!

:: TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH ::

MATT DUCHENE - Duchene, the 3rd overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, is the highest pick the Avalanche have had since moving to Denver. He’s primed to make the team out of training camp, but the big question remains: Will he stay on the roster for the entire season or be sent back to his junior team in the OHL? One can only hope that the Avs keep him on the roster the entire season, as it’s exactly what the fans in Denver want to see.  Called “the best all-around player” in the draft by many analysts, Duchene should have no problem sticking in the lineup thanks to his playmaking ability, youthful enthusiasm and tremendous vision and ice awareness. Oddly enough, the Avs have never had an 18-year-old on their regular season roster.

CHRIS STEWART - Most fans will say that Stewart was the most impressive call-up last season, showing early promise of being a star power forward. It’s not a stretch to say that in the next five or six seasons he could be compared to the likes of Joe Thornton and Ryan Getzlaf.  Look for Stewie to not only make the team out of training camp, but play his first full season in the NHL. Stewart’s size is noticeable, but watch out for his great speed, which stems from a very powerful first stride. He’s also not afraid to knock knuckles with the league’s toughest, making him an extremely valuable player for a small Avalanche squad.

DAVID JONES - Jones is coming off a season that was plagued with injuries, so look for him to have a breakout year. His play while he has possession of the puck reminds me very much of Peter Forsberg. He’s very hard to defend against and extremely strong on the puck, especially in the corners.  He has fairly deceptive speed and plays the body well. The former Ivy League Player of the Year will be looking to rebound from last season’s setback and find a spot on the top two lines.

TJ GALIARDI – After Stewart, Galiardi was the second-most impressive call-up last year, showing incredible raw talent and offensive ability. Galiardi seemed to struggle a little bit making the adjustment to the NHL, making some “rookie mistakes” early in his call-up, but still has no problem making the team out of training camp. His ability to score goals in the prime slot area will be a major benefit considering Marek Svatos failed to find his scoring touch last season.

CRAIG ANDERSON - Don’t be surprised when Anderson starts on October 1st. The Avalanche signed him right away on July 1st from the Florida Panthers, a team that probably didn’t want to lose him. Anderson is one of the most elite US-born goalies in the league and has tremendous positioning and quickness to go alongside his solid size. He only played 27 games last season, but was sensational all season by making 40+ saves in a number of games. He will not only beat out Budaj for the starting role, but carry it throughout the season. His only sticking point would be that he’s never been a starting goaltender before, nor has he played more than 30 games in a single season. But it looks like the Avalanche are quite comfortable giving him the reins and letting him run with them.

TYLER WEIMAN - Weiman has improved every single season since turning pro in 2004 with the CHL’s Colorado Eagles. The Saskatoon native led the Eagles to a championship as a rookie, shattering every single goalie record along the way. Weiman was actually on the Avs’ roster to start the 2007-08 season after Jose Theodore had very minor knee surgery, allowing him to make his NHL debut by stopping all 10 shots he faced in 16 minutes of play against the Predators. Although Weiman fans have been frustrated by the lack of opportunity with the Avs, everyone is excited that he agreed to a qualifying offer. He quietly led the AHL in shutouts last season with Lake Erie, proving he not only belongs in the NHL, but can win games when given the chance.

RYAN STOA - Stoa, a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota will also look to make an impact this year, projected by many scouts to not only play for the Avs this upcoming season, but score 20 goals as well. Stoa was drafted four years ago in 2005 andhas spent the past four seasons with the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers.

KELSEY TESSIER - Tessier was the player that impressed me the most at this year’s development camp. He will in all likelihood be sent back to his junior team during camp, but the 4th round pick in 2008 easily could have gone in the 2ndor 3rd round if he had more size.  Tessieris generously listed as 5’9″ but makes up for size with quickness and shoots the puck very hard for a guy his size.

MATT HENDRICKS - Hendricks appeared in several games with the big club towards the endof last season. Hendricks will play a bigger role with Joe Sacco’s team because Hendricks understands Sacco’s system. Although Sacco hasn’t publicly discussed this yet, he will no doubt need hard-working 3rd and 4th line players like Hendricks to finish their checks, generate scoring chances and consequently make the Avs a more difficult team to play against.

CHRIS DURNO - Durno is a player that fell under the radar last season. The 6-foot-4 forward has put up solid numbers in the AHL and made his NHL debut last season in two games for the Avs. Not familiar with Durno? Picture Rob Blake, but a forward. He played four years at Michigan Tech and has been playing in the minor leagues since the 2003-04 season.

Brandon Maxwell was drafted by the Avalanche less than a month before the camp, so this was his first taste of a pro camp atmosphere. Ask any fan in attendance and you will see that this kid has TONS of promise, so check out our thoughts below.