Nemeth is slated to be on a defensive pairing with Samuel Girard this evening as the Avalanche plays at the Vegas Golden Knights in the squad's third of six preseason outings.
"I think my shoulder is fine. I think the last couple days, I was dealing with a little bit of rust, but now [I'm] starting to feel more like a hockey player again," said Nemeth following the team's morning skate. "It's going to be fun to get out there and get in some game action tonight."
The Avalanche is 0-2-0 in the preseason, but the record isn't what the team or the players are focusing on at this time of the year. Instead, they're more worried about the details of the game and doing the right things to get ready for opening night.
"I think get good habits in right away," Nemeth said of the preseason. "Get out of the summer hockey mentality and play the right way. I think as a team, that is what we'll try to do--both as individuals and as a team. I think it is important to get the right habits in moving forward."
The rear guard is looking to build on his 2017-18 campaign, his first in Colorado after being picked up on waivers prior to the start of the season. He produced the fourth-highest plus/minus rating (plus-27) in the league last season and also had career highs in games played (68), goals (three), assists (12), points (15) and penalty minutes (41).
Joining Nemeth in making their preseason debuts tonight are Sergei Boikov, Gabriel Bourque, Pavel Francouz, Scott Kosmachuk, Matt Nieto and Carl Soderberg. Avs head coach Jared Bednar has said he would like his veteran players, if healthy, to skate in three contests before the regular season begins on Oct. 4 versus the Minnesota Wild.
Boikov will be playing his first NHL preseason game since injuring his shoulder in an exhibition contest last year. He had to have season-ending surgery after getting hurt on Sept. 21, 2017 versus the Dallas Stars.
"It's very exciting right now," said Boikov, who played in all three games for the Avs at the Vegas Rookie Faceoff rookie tournament on Sept. 8-11. "I'm very happy that I'm in the lineup today. I'm going to do the best [I can]."
Francouz will be making his first-ever start in North America after signing a one-year contract with Colorado in May. The Czech goaltender played the last three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, where he was named the league's best goaltender and first-team all-star in 2017-18.
The Avs held their morning skate practice at Family Sports Center on Monday before flying to Las Vegas for their 8 p.m. MT contest. Colorado, like most NHL teams, usually travel the day of the game during the preseason.
