Cut by Cut: Down to 51

After concluding the four day camp portion of preparation for the upcoming 2019-20 season, the Colorado Avalanche announced their first cut on Monday, September 16th. The move which places the roster now at 51 comes a little earlier than usual as the first cut typically happens after the first preseason game. That contest is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17th and another round of cuts is expected to follow.

None of these five assignments to the Colorado Eagles are unexpected although perhaps before the first preseason game is a little surprising. Each of defenseman Josh Anderson plus forwards Brandon Saigeon, Josh Dickinson, Travis Barron and Igor Shvyrev dressed in a preseason contest last year with the latter in Shvyrev making it past the first cut. All are expected to play the whole coming season in the minor leagues but getting cut this early means they will face a steep uphill battle to receive consideration for a callup and probably will spend a portion of time in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies

Goaltender Trent Miner is the lone assignment to his junior club the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. He had a good camp but at just 18 years of age is not quite ready to see preseason action and is understandable to head back to his junior team with the season beginning this week.