On the Avalanche’s pre-training camp roster right now are two of the top 10 picks in the 2009 NHL entry draft. Matt Duchene is, yes, still on the Avs and was the third player announced in the first round of that ’09 night in Montreal. Six spots later, Ottawa Senators personnel stepped to the stage and said they were proud to select, from the Spokane Chiefs, defenseman Jared Cowen.
So how did Cowen, 26, wind up on the Avalanche’s pre-camp roster eight years later, with nothing but a Professional Try Out contract as a form of security for his NHL future?