AVS ADD TWO DEFENSEMEN
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic made two minor moves before the NHL trade deadline Monday, adding defensemen Mark Alt off the waiver wire from the Philadelphia Flyers and Ryan Graves in a trade with the New York Rangers.
Alt, 26, will report to the Avs in Denver and Graves, 22, to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio. Colorado sent defenseman Chris Bigras, 23, who was playing with the Rampage in San Antonio, to the Rangers in exchange for Graves.
Bigras was Colorado’s secondround pick (No. 32 overall) in 2013. Graves was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (110 overall) of the same draft.
The Avs began a four-game homestand Monday just four points behind Calgary for the last Western Conference playoff spot, with two games in hand over the Flames. Colorado will have 20 remaining games after Monday’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks, who traded secondleading scorer Thomas Vanek to the Columbus Blue Jackets before Monday’s deadline.
“Lot of conversations about different possibilities but we weren’t in the rental market. We want to stay the course,” Sakic said Monday. “It’s been a fun team to watch, we have a great group of kids, great team with a lot of chemistry and right now we’re only four points out (of the playoffs) and a couple games in hand.”
Sakic said the straight-up trade of Graves for Bigras was just about “a change of scenery, really.”
Alt had played in just eight games with the Flyers this season and has only played nine career NHL games. He provides depth for a team missing three defensemen to injury, including ice-time leader Erik Johnson (upperbody).
Alt, 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, was born in Kansas City., Mo., grew up in St. Paul, Minn., and played three seasons for the University of Minnesota. He was drafted by Carolina in the second round (53rd overall) in 2010 but never played for the Hurricanes.
His $650,000 contract expires after this season, so he’s generally in a tryout situation with the Avs.
Graves, 22, was in his third season with the Hartford WolfPack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, where he registered four goals and seven assists in 57 games this year. The 6-5, 226-pounder served as the team’s alternative captain.
Bigras played 15 games with the Avalanche this year, recording one assist.
New day, new game.
Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who was benched in the entire third period of the two previous games, was back on the team’s top pairing with Tyson Barrie in Monday’s game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Zadorov, 22, spoke about his benchings for the first time Monday after the morning skate at the Pepsi Center.
“It’s a new day, a new game, so that’s what I’m focusing on,” he told The Denver Post.
Zadorov was turnover-prone in losses at Edmonton (overtime) and Calgary last week and committed the Avs’ first three penalties against the Flames. When asked what he needs to do better Monday against the Canucks, he said: “I think it’s between me and (coach Jared Bednar).”
Bednar was asked the same question.
“We need him to get back to his basic play, where he’s playing physical, moving his feet and he’s taking care of the puck,” the coach said. “Handful of mistakes, they start piling up at this time of the year and we don’t have the luxury to wait around and see if a guy comes around in a game. We’re playing to win.”
Injury updates.
Johnson remains out indefinitely, Bednar said. Defenseman Anton Lindholm (upper-body), who has missed the last three games — going down in the same game as Johnson — participated in the morning skate in a non-contact jersey and has made significant progress, Bednar said. The coach said goalie Jonathan Bernier (head) and forward Sven Andrighetto (leg) skated on their own Monday and are improving.
Defenseman Mark Barberio, however, is not expected to skate anytime soon, and is out indefinitely with what is believed to be a concussion.