The 2016-17 season was not a flattering one for the Avalanche defense corps, but new additions will be changing the lay of the land. Francois Beauchemin, Fedor Tyutin, Patrick Wiercioch, Cody Goloubef and Eric Gelinas have moved on, leaving behind space for new faces and a heavier load for the likes of Barrie, Johnson, and Zadorov. How should we expect individual utilization of the current group to change in 2017-18?
One of the biggest ways d-men are predisposed for success is via zone starts. Unsurprisingly, the team’s most offensively-gifted rearguard Tyson Barrie led the group in offensive zone starts last year, while stay-at-home veteran Tyutin received the least.