Eurolanche

Ryan Wilson Wounded Warrior

Everyone knows the Colorado Avalanche back end is just a gong show. Often when discussing the Avs back end the best thing you hear is Tyson Barrie and Stephan Elliot have potential.  Jan Hejda was pretty solid all year. Not great but constantly solid. Then of course it goes Greg Zanon I like your beard but get off the team now!  Shane O’Brien and Matt Hunwick nice to see you, best of luck elsewhere in the future.

Of course that leaves Erik Johnson probably the second most hate/loved player after Stastny. Most of the time you hear “He is a bust I can’t believe we traded Shattenkirk I hate the Avs management.”

On the flip side of that you hear “He is still young he needs a true top pairing partner give him a chance”

Me I tend to fall a little bit in-between. I believe EJ got the skill and still has time before he goes full bust. As well he has shown some good flashes of being a top level defender. He just needs to hurry up and get there this season if he pleases. He is thought a very good sign of what drafting a defender at first overall and rushing him can do.

I think this is where Ryan Wilson comes in. A skilled hard hitting defender who when he plats makes the Avs blue line better. Only problem is he is often not playing. Since being called up from Lake Erie in 2009 he has never been sent back down. Since that time he has missed about 60 plus games due to injuries. The worst was obviously this year where he missed 36 games. 

I would love to see him play a full season healthy to really see what he can do. Despite only playing 12 games this year he was a plus 4 which. The only other defenseman to be a plus for the Avs was Hunwick at plus 4 as well. He managed 3 points, 23 shots and 17 hits. Not amazing numbers but not horrible numbers either.

I don’t think Wilson is that top 2 guy. I think he is a very solid 3 or 4 guy who will play good minutes. Contribute to the team and do some good work on the PK. The problem is he needs to stay healthy. If he can’t stay healthy the team won’t keep taking time with him. This may sound cutthroat and sad to the Wilson fans. I'm included in that boat. But in the new regime of we must win now a guy who can’t stay healthy and contribute most nights could be shipped off.

I hope Wilson has a great bounce back year health wise this season. He has the skills to help the Avs blue line in a big way and make it better. I would like to see him stick around for a couple more years and see what he has got. But if he can’t stay healthy look for him to be shipped off.