First impressions aren’t always everything. There’s a recent history of examples in Colorado to back up that notion.
It took time for Josh Manson’s heavier style to acclimate to the Avalanche’s fast-paced system after he was traded at the 2022 deadline. Even as recently as this month, center Lars Eller looked awkward in the lineup for several games before settling in with defensive tenacity and offensive opportunism to compensate for the skating speed he lacks.
Then there’s Denis Malgin. The system fit was never the problem for him. It was the confidence to blend into that system alongside Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and company.