Morning Skate Report: Sheldon Dries Set To Make NHL Debut

Sheldon Dries survived seven rounds of roster cuts and will now make his NHL debut tonight as the Colorado Avalanche begins the 2018-19 season versus the Minnesota Wild at Pepsi Center.
"It's exciting. I don't think it has really hit me that it will be my NHL debut tonight," Dries told ColoradoAvalanche.com after Thursday's optional morning skate. "I think once I get into the locker room pregame and go out for warmup, I think it's going to start hitting me. But once the puck drops, it's just hockey and doing your job."

Signed as a free agent on July 2, Dries already has one year of pro experience as he helped the Texas Stars win the American Hockey League's Western Conference last season. He was with the Dallas Stars' top minor-league affiliate on an AHL contract, but he showed enough last year to earn an NHL deal with the Avs.
He had 19 goals and 11 assists in 70 regular season games for Texas before scoring 10 times in 22 playoff outings.
Dries, 24, played in five of the Avalanche's six preseason contests and compiled two goals, four penalty minutes and 12 shots.
"Just being hard on pucks," Dries said of what made him successful during Colorado's training camp and exhibition slate. "Using my tenacity to get pucks to the net, play hard in the D-zone, forecheck, neutral zone, all aspects of my game, so definitely think that will help, and the speed aspect. This is a fast team. If I use my speed, I put myself in a good spot."

The center by trade will be the left wing on a line this evening with J.T. Compher and Matt Calvert.
"Those two are great," Dries said of his linemates. "They're talking with me about different situations, how we can work on things in the O-zone, D-zone. That's two great guys that communicate with me and make my job a little easier."
Dries will also have several family members in attendance as well. His mom and dad made the trip to Colorado, along with his girlfriend and her family. His sister is also flying to Denver later tonight, but her first game might have to wait until Saturday when the Avs host the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It will be great to have all of them there," Dries said.
This is the second straight season that Colorado has had at least one player make his NHL debut on opening night after Alex Kerfoot and Andrei Mironov made their first appearances last year at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. The Avs will now have a rookie make their league debut in nine of the last 10 season openers.

VIEW: Avalanche's opening-night projected lineup

VARLAMOV MILESTONES

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov will start tonight against the Minnesota Wild in what will be his 400th NHL contest.
The Samara, Russia, native will also suit up in his eighth opening night with the Avalanche, passing Patrick Roy (seven) for the most in franchise history.
Varlamov has played in every season opener for Colorado since being acquired from the Washington Capitals prior to the 2011-12 campaign.

OPENING-NIGHT NUMBERS

The Avalanche franchise is 21-10-7 all-time on opening night (.645), which is the second-best record in the NHL (excluding Vegas). Tampa Bay owns the best mark at 16-7-2 (.680).
The franchise owns a 26-8-4 all-time record in home openers (.737).
The Avs have the second-highest points percentage (.737) among all NHL teams in home openers (Vegas excluded), with only tonight's opponent, the Minnesota Wild, having a better mark at .853 (13-1-3).
Colorado is 14-5-3 in its first home game since the team moved from Quebec. The Avs are 12-4-2 at Pepsi Center in those contests.
The 2018-19 campaign marks the fourth time in the last seven years that the Avalanche will face the Wild in a season opener (also 2012-13, 2014-15 and 2015-16).
Colorado is beginning its season at home for the 10th time in the last 13 years.
Head coach Jared Bednar is 2-0-0 in season openers.