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Not agelong ago, Avalanche imaginable Justus Annunen was considered the club’s goaltender of the future.
He inactive mightiness beryllium but the 6-foot-4 Finnish autochthonal needs to bounce backmost from a mediocre 2020-21 play and punctual Avs’ absorption however bully helium tin be.
Annunen, 21, was the 3rd goalie selected successful the 2018 NHL draft, going to Colorado successful the 3rd circular (64th overall). He past starred arsenic a rookie for Karpet successful Finland’s premier nonrecreational league, going 15-5-5 with a 1.77 goals-against mean and .929 prevention percent successful 2019-20. Annunen besides was Finland’s No. 1 goalie astatine the 2020 World Junior Championship erstwhile the Finns upset the United States 1-0 successful the quarterfinals.
Then came COVID-19, and Annunen’s statistic successful 2020-21 were underwhelming. He had a .884 prevention percent successful 24 games for Karpet earlier finishing the play with AHL’s Colorado Eagles, going 0-1-1 with a .900 prevention percent successful 2 games.
Annunen is again backmost successful Colorado, this clip prepared to walk his archetypal afloat play successful North America. He’s among six goalies nether declaration for the Avalanche and among 3 successful this week’s development/rookie campy astatine Family Sports Center. Annunen is astir apt destined to statesman the play with the Eagles arsenic the club’s No. 4 oregon No. 5 goalie but, erstwhile factoring successful injuries and illness, helium could perchance marque his NHL debut astatine immoderate constituent successful 2021-22.
Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz are slated to beryllium the Avalanche goalies and Annunen volition astir apt stock clip with Jonas Johansson, 25, with the Eagles. Hunter Miska, 26, and Trent Minor, 20, are besides nether contract. Only Annunen and Minor are nether declaration beyond 2021-22.
After Thursday’s campy practice, Annunen said helium moved to Colorado astir six weeks earlier campy to get adjusted to the area. He grew up playing connected Olympic-size crystal sheets and lone played extracurricular Finland successful planetary tournaments and his little stint successful Loveland with the Eagles.
“It helps maine a batch to get utilized to this beingness present due to the fact that it’s evidently antithetic than backmost home,” Annunen said. “But I similar it a lot. I consciousness beauteous comfortable.”
Getting utilized to the NHL crippled is challenging. He said rink dimensions are 15 feet smaller successful width. “There’s much action, much pucks to the net, and much guys to the net,” helium said.
Annunen mightiness get aggregate starts successful this weekend’s rookie showcase successful Glendale and Scottsdale, Ariz., wherever the Avs prospects volition play their peers from the Los Angeles Kings connected Friday, the Anaheim Ducks connected Sunday, and the San Jose Sharks connected Monday.
The young Avs traveled to Arizona aft a comparatively agelong signifier Thursday, their 5th time of camp.
“It’s been a large week,” said defenseman Nate Clurman of Boulder. “Practices person been large and (Tuesday’s) scrimmage was great, to person immoderate fans retired the different night. Everyone looks bully and radical are excited to get down to Arizona and play immoderate games.
“It’s been a portion since everyone has played immoderate games. Some guys got their seasons canceled past year, immoderate guys had shortened seasons. So immoderate games, we’re grateful for. We’re looking guardant to getting down there.”
Footnote. The young Avs worked connected the powerfulness play Thursday and defenseman Bo Byram, arsenic expected, ran the archetypal radical with 4 forwards — Alex Newhook, Sampo Ranta, Oskar Olausson and Andreas Wingerli. Byram, Newhook and Ranta made their NHL debuts with the Avs past season. Olausson was the club’s 2021 first-round draught prime and Wingerli was an undrafted escaped cause who was signed retired of Sweden successful the offseason.
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