Jared Bednar often knows very little about the players Colorado obtains in mid-season trades. It doesn’t concern him: As he puts it with a shrug, “I coach the players that they give me.”
“Occasionally they’ll say, ‘Hey, we want you to look at this guy and see if he’ll fit,'” Bednar said before Denis Malgin’s Avalanche debut Dec. 21. “I looked a little bit at Malgin. He’s a veteran guy. Can play center and wing. He’s got good skill. Has good pace to his game.” His ice time alone indicates that he’s another feat of savvy string-pulling by the Avalanche front office. Malgin is averaging 16:22 through his first three games, whereas Hunt averaged 7:51 in his 25 games in Colorado, including 5:12 in the last four. Bednar appreciated Hunt’s consistent “low-event hockey,” but Malgin might bring more offensive upside. A player’s ice time is often an accurate reflection of Bednar’s satisfaction level with that player.
'He has eight shots on goal and six hits in three games.'