While the Avalanche veterans were taking part in an unofficial practice Monday on one sheet of ice at the Family Sports Center, Duncan Siemens was among 27 youngsters trying to make a good first impression on an adjacent rink on the first day of the team's three-day rookie camp.
"This is a huge year for me and I've got to have a real good one," said Siemens, who was the Avalanche's second first-round pick (No. 11) in the 2011 NHL draft, 10 places behind Gabriel Landeskog, who went on to win the Calder Trophy in 2011-12 and eventually became team captain.
Siemens, who turned 22 on Sept. 7, spent the past two seasons with Lake Erie in the AHL and is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. A 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, he's a physical defenseman who has been plagued by injuries since turning pro and is a long shot to make the Avalanche roster, especially with eight veteran defensemen under contract and with highly-touted prospects like Chris Bigras as competition.
"You have to put it in the back of your mind and go ahead and play," Siemens said. "I'm a firm believer that the best guy will get the job. If you can outplay one of them, of course it's management's job to make a move. We have a lot of guys with contracts and that's what it's going to take, you're going to have to outplay a guy with a lot of experience. "It's important for me to get off to a good start and make it as hard as possible for (management). We have a lot of D-men here this year and I just have to control how I play to put myself in the mix. Last year was a little bit of an inconsistent year for me. Unfortunately I had another injury. What I'm really looking forward to cleaning up this year is to have a full, strong, consistent and healthy year."
Injuries limited Siemens to 46 games in 2013-14, and he played in just 54 games last season because of a broken wrist; he finished with six assists and 57 penalty minutes.
"When you make the jump to pro it's a whole different world and sometimes it takes a little bit longer," he said. "It's obviously taken me longer than I wanted it to. I wanted to get here right off the bat, but the reality is it doesn't always happen. I've made some (progress), but not as much as I wanted. I've had a couple injuries that set me back. Everybody goes through those, so it's not an excuse. It's something I've got to work through.
"I was drafted to be physical, hard to play against, a shut-down type defenseman. I think that's coming along nicely. The thing I really need to work on, I spent a lot of time this summer working with the puck; that's something that isn't a strength of mine. I have to make sure I can pick it up in tight areas and handle it in tight with me having that extra split-second to make a pass and move our team forward." Siemens made his NHL debut in the Avalanche's season finale against Chicago on April 11, making him the first defenseman drafted by Colorado to play in a regular-season game since Stefan Elliott (who was traded to Arizona last week) and Tyson Barrie, who were drafted in 2009.
"I got that first one in and it makes you hungry for more," he said.
Does Siemens feel extra pressure to perform because of his first-round status?
"There's lots of guys in the first round that play 10 (career) games and some guys that go undrafted who end up Hall of Famers, so I think it's just a part of the process," he said. "There's some pressure for sure, but I try to put that out of my mind and put myself on an equal playing field with everybody else. At the end of the day it doesn't matter where you were drafted. The guy who's playing the best is getting the job."
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The veterans will report Thursday at the Pepsi Center for medicals and physical testing. Official on-ice sessions will be held Friday and Saturday at the Family Sports Center, and the annual Burgundy and White Game is set for Sunday at Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus.
The Avalanche kicks off a six-game preseason schedule Sept. 22 against Anaheim at the Pepsi Center.