In the new system, the Colorado Avalanche keep just seven defensemen on the roster. Now that Gabriel Bourque has been sent to San Antonio, the team also has just 13 forwards in the mix.
The usual scratch from the defensive corps has been Eric Gelinas. He was a trade deadline pick-up last season. Unfortunately, he played just six games last season before an injury took him out for the rest of the year.
The big defenseman — 6-foot-4, 215 pounds — worked very hard over the summer:
He also came in on fire for training camp and the preseason.