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NHL Insider: Avalanche first-round pick Oskar Olausson is early star of rookie camp | Avalanche

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Every Friday during the offseason, Gazette beat writer Kyle Fredrickson will take you around the NHL and inside the Avalanche.

What they said

“Every time you put on that jersey, you want to give 100 percent. They won the Cup. It’s an exciting time for the whole organization. You go out there, do your best and show why you’re a part of this great organization.” — Sampo Rantaa Colorado Eagles (AHL) forward, competing for an NHL roster spot at the Avalanche rookie camp.

What I’m thinking

— Hockey season, finally, is back on the horizon. Colorado’s practice facility was buzzing on Thursday with the start of rookie camp. Twenty-seven of the franchise’s brightest young prospects gathered for a roughly two-hour workout. I missed the sound of skates grinding, pucks flying and board collisions.

Avalanche rookie camp primer: Get to know Colorado’s top prospects entering the 2022-23 season

— The roster is composed of players on entry-level contracts that aren’t in the NHL. Included are nine Avalanche draft picks, four players on AHL contracts, two free agent signings and 12 rookie-camp invites. Colorado is low on prospects with so much talented depth already on the roster. It allowed the team’s scouting department to scour the globe in assembling a free-agent heavy rookie camp.

— The biggest theme from Day 1? Instruction over practice. Avalanche director of player development Brian Willsie compared it to “spoon-feeding.” Coaches spend most of their time on the whiteboard or breaking down individual drills. It’s all in preparation for an upcoming three-game NHL Rookie Tournament in San Jose, Calif.

— Motivation for players is simple: Use this rookie camp as a springboard to lock down a contract or roster spot. Easier said than done, of course. The Avalanche front office has been aggressive to address immediate needs in free agency and the trade market. But you can still expect several AHL players in rookie camp to get the call-up at some point this season.

— This might seem like a minor detail to some readers, but reporters were given open locker room access Thursday to chat with Avalanche rookies after practice. It’s a big deal. COVID protocols have prevented media from entering the locker room, dating back to spring 2019. That intimate reporting environment is critical for establishing trust with players and telling better stories.

— It’s also important to understand that an NHL locker room is a sacred space for players. It’s an unwritten rule that nobody (especially reporters) steps on Colorado’s “A” logo centered on the carpet. You respect the players’ personal space. Don’t ask ridiculous questions. Be kind. It’s a privilege, not a right, to be in that room. I’m thankful to get inside all season.

What I’m reading

MacKinnon contract update: Nathan MacKinnon spoke with Michael Russo of The Athletic on Thursday and provided an update on contract talks with Colorado. MacKinnon said reaching an extension with the team is “pretty close” and that he hopes to sign before opening night.

Fantasy hockey rankings: Looking for some advice ahead of your NHL fantasy draft? ESPN compiled a Top-300 rankings list of players to consider. MacKinnon leads the Avs at No. 10 overall.

What’s happening?

— The Avalanche have yet to announce the official start of training camp. But expect it to begin sometime middle-to-late next week. The team traditionally hosts a media day with each player interviewed by reporters.

— It’s hard to believe the preseason is almost here. The Avalanche opened Sept. 25 with split-squad games against Minnesota and Vegas. Then it’s a full-squad game Sept. 27 at the Wild and home Sept. 28 against the Knights. Time to knock off the rust and determine bottom roster spots.

Avalanche signs Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues to 1-year contract

— The NHL gives fans essentially its own version of the NFL’s “HBO Hard Knocks” series with insider access to the Nashville Predators training camp “Behind the Glass.” It premieres in two weeks on NHL Network. Can anyone give me a review of past seasons? I’m looking forward to tuning this year.

What’s on tap

3 pm Friday: Avalanche vs. Kings (NHL rookie tournament)

8 pm Saturday: Avalanche vs. Sharks (NHL rookie tournament)

11 am Monday: Avalanche vs. Coyotes (NHL rookie tournament)

*Live-stream availability for NHL rookie tournament games have yet to be determined, according to an Avalanche team source.

NHL Insider

The early buzz at Avalanche rookie camp surrounds the first-round draft pick Oskar Olausson and his powerful left shot.

“He can really rip the puck,” said the rookie camp center Ben Meyers.

“A lot of skill and a lot of poise,” said the rookie camp winger Sampo Ranta.

“We just commented that he was probably one of the best forwards in practice today,” said the Avalanche director of player development Brian Willsie.

Olausson, 19, was picked no. 28 overall in 2021 out of the Swedish Hockey League. Olausson averaged fewer than a point per game in the OHL before getting called-up by the Colorado Eagles for their AHL playoff run. He tallied a pair of assists in four games.

“The language and the culture are way different from Sweden. The smaller ice. That’s the biggest change,” Olausson told reporters Thursday after rookie camp practice. He made a plan this offseason to put on more weight and muscle.

“Work hard and eat a lot … five or six meals a day,” Olausson said.

The early returns are positive. Olausson’s progress will be on display this weekend during the rookie tournament. His performance will help establish a potential timeline for his NHL debut. Nothing is written in stone.

“You let them maybe set the timeline. We put the things in front of them,” Willsie said. “Some players ascend quicker in their development, and some take a little bit longer. We have really, really strong lineups on both teams. So, he’ll be surrounded with veterans if he’s in with the Eagles and obviously he has some great mentors here if he’s with Colorado.

“In the next month, he’ll show us where he belongs best for his development.”

NHL Insider: 5 bold predictions for the Colorado Avalanche’s 2022-23 season

But there’s no real pressure for Olausson to join the Avs’ lineup anytime soon. Colorado is loaded with quality forward depth. Let Olausson develop at his own pace and see where the chips fall.

“Play my best and maybe make the NHL team,” Olausson said.

The List

The Avalanche has loaded up on rookie camp invites this month with a dozen players brought in to compete for a contract. Here’s a look at the three most intriguing names from that list.

1. F Connor McClennon: The Flyers chose not to sign McClennon, 20, to an entry-level contract in June after he scored 81 points (43 goals) last season in the WHL (Winnipeg). Elite production. But McClennon’s lack of size — 5-foot-8 and 168 pounds — is a big reason why he fell to the sixth round of the 2020 NHL draft.

2. F Gabe Klassen: Klassen, 19, exploded in his third WHL season for the Portland Winterhawks with career-best marks in goals (33), assists (31) and points (64). He’s a left-hand shot who went undrafted last year. But the Avalanche could make a push to sign Klassen with a strong rookie camp.

3. D Nolan Orzeck: Orzeck, 21, was an assists machine in the WHL last season with 33 for Winnipeg. His hometown of Calgary, Alberta, is shared by Avs’ star defenseman Cale Makar. Does Orzeck have some of the same magic in his game? Colorado wants to find out.

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