A big moment could await Chris Bigras, the young Avalanche defenseman who is expected to make the opening-night roster.
Veteran defenseman Jared Cowen was released from his professional tryout contract Wednesday and Bigras, 22, appears to have separated himself from at least two other young defensemen in the quest to complete Colorado’s seven- or eight-man corps.
In the Avs’ final preseason game Thursday in Las Vegas, Bigras will be paired with Tyson Barrie against the expansion Golden Knights at the T-Mobile Arena. Typically, the lineup from the last preseason game features the team’s top players, by position, and Bigras is believed to have a leg up on defensemen Duncan Siemens, 24, and Andrei Mironov, 23, who both will be scratched Thursday.