The Colorado Avalanche continued their push towards a younger roster on Monday, as they recalled Duncan Siemens (23) and Rocco Grimaldi (24) from the San Antonio Rampage. As the season comes to a close, management must have thought “why not?”.
Siemens being recalled is especially noteworthy, as the Avs drafted him 11th overall back in 2011. The young defenseman received positive reviews in the preseason from head coach Jared Bednar, but ultimately failed to make the opening-night roster.
While it’s true defensemen often take significantly longer to develop than forwards, many expected Siemens to make the jump to the NHL far sooner, especially being a first-round pick.