Avalanche ready to put together roster at final team camp

PALMER — When the Alaska Avalanche coaches leave the team’s final offseason camp Sunday evening, they’ll know the names of the 23 players slated to play for the Palmer-based North American Hockey League squad during the upcoming season. But they also may have found future skaters in the Avalanche organization.

About 100 players are expected to participate in the team’s invitation-only camp, which starts Friday in Andover, Minn., first-year head coach Brian Huebel said Monday afternoon, but not all may be considered for the 2010-11 squad.

“We invite kids who we feel have a legitimate opportunity of making this team, but we also bring in kids we know may be a year or two out,” Huebel said.

The Avs don’t make any false promises to the long shots, but do see it as a valuable way to form relationships with the younger talent.

“It allows us to shake hands with them,” Huebel said. “We can see them around the rink, talk to them and see them play.”

It’s a recruiting tool, Huebel said.

“We get to know them and can really track their progress,” Huebel said.

Huebel said it also gives coaches a chance to talk with players about their expectations and goals.

“We allow the athletes to talk to us first, tell us what they want to do,” Huebel said. “They may want to play high school or maybe midget another year. They might just be lights out, a great player sitting out there, a kid who needs to play in our league.”

In addition to scouting future talent, the Avs coaches will be looking to restock a squad that enjoyed a historic 2009-10 campaign, setting franchise records for wins and points.

Of the players eligible to return, Huebel said the Avs expect about 10 to be back, barring any major changes. With the roster maximum at 23, that means the Avs will have about 13 spots to fill.

Players eligible to return aren’t necessarily cemented on to the roster for the upcoming season, Huebel said. Each needs to show they’ve done enough in the offseason to hold their spots.

“I have a lot of confidence in the returning guys,” Huebel said.

The Avs are in search of talent at every position, and are looking for character in addition to talent.

“We want good kids, good students and good hockey players,” Huebel said.

The Avs have an eye out for top-six forwards to replace scorers such as departed forward Kyle Pichler, the team’s career leader in points. On defense, the Avalanche will have to fill the void left by assistant captain Jake Parenteau, a University of Minnesota recruit. Captain Logan Maly, another defenseman, has also graduated to the college ranks and will play at Division III Wisconsin-Stout next season.

Offensively, Huebel said the top two lines on the squad have to produce.

“That’s going to be their job. We want the top six guys to be legitimate top-six guys,” Huebel said. “All six should be Division I prospects both athletically and academically.”

On the blue line, the battle is replacing the likes of Parenteau.

“To find another Jake Parenteau, we might be searching for a long time,” Huebel said of the defenseman who led the Avs in scoring and led all blueliners in goals in each of the last two seasons. “We might have to be more by committee this year.”

The Avs are also looking for a goaltender to compliment Landon Peterson, who is expected to return.

The 23 players who make the team will report to the Valley on Aug. 25, Huebel said. The Avs make their 2010-11 debut Sept. 10 when they host the Kenai River Brown Bears.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.