T.J. Hughes will make his NHL debut Wednesday night, Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar confirmed.
Hughes, 24, was one of the top college free agents at the end of last season after being a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his senior season at Michigan. He was a standout for the Colorado Eagles during the Calder Cup Playoffs after signing, and then was one of the stars of this training camp for the Avalanche.
He punctuated his preseason with a hat trick and an assist Friday night at Ball Arena against the Winnipeg Jets.
“(Hughes) is starting here,” Bednar said Sunday after practice. “Elite brain, great skill level, makes plays. I think he’s a guy who can produce offense for us. He’s done it at every level. He does not look uncomfortable at all.”
Bednar also confirmed that Hughes will be on the top power-play unit Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings in the season opener at Ball Arena. He was in the bumper spot, the middle of a 1-3-1 alignment, with Colorado’s No.1 unit Sunday, along with Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Gabe Landeskog.
The Avalanche trimmed its NHL roster by 12 players Sunday morning. These moves left 25 players still on the roster — 15 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies. The opening-night roster must be submitted to the league office by Monday at 3 p.m., thought it could change before the Avs’ first contest Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena.
Two forwards expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night — Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux — did not play in either preseason game Friday or Saturday and did not practice Sunday. Bednar said both have lower-body injuries. They are considered day-to-day and will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
Colorado sent six players to the Eagles who did not need waivers — forwards Gavin Brindley and Matt DiMarsico, defensemen Sean Behrens, Alex Gagne and Gustav Stjernberg and goaltender Ilya Nabokov.
The Avs also placed defenseman Wyatt Aamodt and Keaton Middleton and forwards Adam Beckman, Vinnie Hinostroza, Fabian Lysell and Tristen Nielsen on waivers. If they clear Monday afternoon, they will also be assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate.
Goaltender Trent Miner is currently injured and has not participated in camp. He’ll either be placed on injured reserve or sent to the Eagles eventually and won’t count against the roster, which can be a maximum of 23 players but will likely be 21 or 22 for the Avs to save some salary cap space.
Brindley was one of the young players in a competition for the final couple of forward spots. Taylor Makar and Georgii Merkulov are still on the roster but did not practice. Bednar said they are both “nicked up” but will be sent to the Eagles in the near future.
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