FanPost

Why Siemens Is Sitting (Maybe)

Doug Pensinger

I heard (read) a lot of wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments about the lack of playing time that Duncan Siemens is getting this preseason. After seeing no action last year, is it "fair" that our beloved serial killer will again go back to Lake Erie with minimal "NHL game experience?" Getting game experience against NHL players would seem to be a good thing for players like Siemens who are likely to be NHL regulars in the near future. What’s going on?

I think the issue here is that the fans and the coaching staff may not share the same set of priorities for the preseason and so the reasons for Siemens’ lack of playing time can seem opaque. I present here a list of priorities that could explain why Roy and company are playing one group of players and sitting others.

  1. Getting veterans ready for the season – If you look at the line-up that Roy iced in the first Calgary game, he had his top-6 forwards and his top-4 defenders on the roster. This represents the bulk of the ice time for a regular season game. The Avs have some new line combinations and new defensive pairings that need to work out the kinks before games begin to count for something.
  2. Evaluating "bubble" talent – There are a fair number of players right on the edge between the NHL and the AHL. Players like Stefan Elliott and Ryan Wilson are in open competition for the 6-7-8 defensemen spots. Siemens looks to be headed back to LEM to start the year to get additional seasoning. Note: I believe that Siemens is being groomed for a top-4 role next year, but the only NHL opening that will see any regular ice time is the number 6 slot. He needs to learn to maintain focus and play for 20+ minutes, night in and night out, and he won’t get that in the bottom pairing or as a healthy scratch - only in Cleveland. I don’t think it’s a matter of size or ability for Siemens at this point, but consistency. He was injured for much of last year so he needs more game time.
  3. Getting NHL experience for younger players – With the other priorities, particularly No. 1, I think the coaching staff realizes Siemens will not be getting top-4 ice time in the preseason. If other teams share in this top priority the bottom pairing is more likely to be facing other AHL talent and bubble players. Fans would get to see what Siemens looks like in Burgundy and Blue, but he won’t be seeing anything in preseason he won’t see in Lake Erie in a couple of weeks.
  4. Building up the training video library – Developing a younger player requires the coaching staff to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of his game and to then work on the weaknesses and build on the strengths. I’m not sure how much game time they need for this or what value the organization places on it. With preseason ice time being a scarce commodity, the coaches may believe that this is better saved for Lake Erie.

I don’t claim this to be the authoritative list of priorities, only a possible set that might explain why Duncan Siemens has seen little preseason action.

MileHighHockey.com is a fan community, allowing members to post their own thoughts and opinions on the Colorado Avalanche and hockey in general. These views and thoughts may not be shared by the editors of MileHighHockey.com.