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Olver among 7 assigned to Lake Erie |
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Rick Sadowski
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The Avalanche reduced its training camp roster to 30 players Monday by assigning seven players to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Forward Mark Olver, who will have to clear waivers, was among those assigned to the Cleveland-based team. Olver, 25, had four goals, two assists and six penalty minutes in 32 games with the Avalanche last season and played much bigger than his size (5-feet-10, 170 pounds). He was a favorite of former coach Joe Sacco for that reason.
The fact that the Avalanche on Sunday claimed center Marc-Andre Cliche off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings didn't help Olver's cause to remain with Colorado. Cliche, 26, has a lot more size at 6 feet and 203 pounds. He had 10 goals, 10 assists and 46 penalty minutes in 57 games last year for Manchester in the AHL.
Olver had two shots on goal in 14:11 of ice time Sunday in the Avalanche's 2-1 win in Anaheim.
Brad Malone, 24, remains in the hunt for a roster spot, and he can play center or on the wing. Malone, who is 6-2 and 207 pounds, played 15:36 Sunday, had three shots and scored the winning goal. He had a goal and an assist in 13 games with the Avalanche last season.
Sixteen forwards remain, and it's likely the Avalanche will carry 14 on the 23-man roster to open the season Oct. 2 against Anaheim at the Pepsi Center.
Malone and Cliche are competing for those probable two extra forward spots with Paul Carey, 25, and Guillaume Desbiens, 28.
Carey, a fifth-round pick in the 2007 NHL draft, had 19 goals and 22 assists in 72 games with Lake Erie last season; he's 6 feet and 175 pounds.
Desbiens, who was signed as a free agent in July, scored a goal in Anaheim on Sunday. A 6-2, 210-pound right wing, he had four goals, four assists and 118 penalty minutes in 52 games with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL last year. A fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003, Desbiens has spent most of his eight professional seasons in the minors, with no points and 37 penalty minutes in 23 career NHL games -- 13 with Vancouver and 10 with Calgary.
The others assigned to Lake Erie: left wing Andrew Agozzino, center Mitchell Heard, left wing Bryan Lerg, center Garrett Meurs, center Colin Smith and right wing J.T. Wyman.
Lerg and Wyman also have to clear waivers.
The Avalanche didn't practice Monday and resume preseason play Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars at the Pepsi Center.
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